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Desmond Zammit Marmarà Thursday, 3rd September 2009 1565 As Malta celebrates the historically important victory of the Great Siege of 1565, it is worthwhile to ponder on some important points usually overshadowed by the purely military aspect of the Great Siege. The events of 1565 took place against a background of the clash between the Christian and the Islamic religions as well as the contemporary dissonance between Western and Eastern cultures. Few people, however, are aware that commerce played a very important part in the Turkish decision to attack Malta. Attacks on Turkish shipping by ships flying the flag of...

President Barack Obama has named to the federal government’s faith-based initiative a gay-rights activist who, last month, described Pope Benedict XVI and certain Catholic bishops as “discredited leaders” because of their opposition to same-sex marriage. Harry Knox, who is a newly appointed member of Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, is the director of the religion and faith program at the Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual activist group. In addition to his remarks about the Pope, Knox also criticized the Catholic Knights of Columbus as being “foot soldiers of a discredited army of oppression” because of the Knights’...

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- American Catholic voters in 2008 tend to be more moderate and less liberal than U.S. voters as a whole, according to a survey commissioned by the Knights of Columbus and released Oct. 14. "A plurality of Catholic voters, 39 percent, are Democrats, and 45 percent describe themselves as moderate. Only 19 percent say they are liberal," the survey said. The survey was conducted by telephone with 813 self-identified Catholics Sept. 24-Oct. 3 by Marist College's Institute for Public Opinion. Those who identified themselves as practicing Catholics outnumbered nonpracticing Catholics by close to a 2-1 ratio. Interviewers polled...

Iraqi Special Operations Forces soldiers load into an Iraqi air force C-130 Hercules aircraft at New Al Muthana Air Base, Iraq, April 6, 2008, in preparation for a flight to Basra, Iraq. Since March 24, 2008, the Iraqi air force has transported over 200 tons of ammunition and supplies as well as over 1,000 troops to Basra daily with two C-130s during 24-hour operations. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Allen. BASRAH — Operation Sawlat al-Fursan, or Charge of the Knights, entered a new phase of operations in Basrah. The operation, which began March 24, has now started...

From the Canadian Press, Vatican City press office: Pope Benedict on Saturday set the founder of the Knights of Columbus, one of the world's largest lay Catholic groups, on the path to possible beatification and sainthood, the Vatican said.The Pope recognized the "heroic virtues" of reverend Michael McGivney, who in 1882 created a fraternal society for Catholic men who suffered discrimination because of their religion and immigrant origins....The effort to canonize him was opened in 1997. That process received important support last year, when the Vatican's No. 2 official, Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone, celebrated mass at the Knights of Columbus...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- It was billed as the Vatican's effort to "come clean" and reveal secret documents about the mysterious Knights Templar, the medieval crusading order that has inspired ancient legends and modern novels. But after seeing exaggerated press reports for two weeks, Bishop Sergio Pagano apparently had had enough. "I've read in the papers that this is about discoveries. In no way can one talk about discoveries -- every one of these texts was already known," he said Oct. 25. You could almost feel the air going out of the balloon in the packed Vatican conference room, where...

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Knights Templar, the medieval Christian military order accused of heresy and sexual misconduct, will soon be partly rehabilitated when the Vatican publishes trial documents it had closely guarded for 700 years. A reproduction of the minutes of trials against the Templars, "'Processus Contra Templarios -- Papal Inquiry into the Trial of the Templars'" is a massive work and much more than a book -- with a 5,900 euros (4,125 pounds) price tag. "This is a milestone because it is the first time that these documents are being released by the Vatican, which gives a stamp...

The Vatican is to publish a book which is expected to shed light on the demise of the Knights Templar, a Christian military order from the Middle Ages. The book is based on a document known as the Chinon parchment, found in the Vatican Secret Archives six years ago after years of being incorrectly filed. The document is a record of the heresy hearings of the Templars before Pope Clement V in the 14th Century. The official who found the paper says it exonerates the knights entirely. Prof Barbara Frale, who stumbled across the parchment by mistake, says that...

NASHVILLE, August 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - At the Knights of Columbus 125th annual convention this week, the Order officially resolved to forbid pro-abortion politicians from attending their events. The Order also renewed its support for the traditional definition of marriage and called for the protection of conscience for people in the medical field. During the final session of the Knights of Columbus convention at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel on August 9, delegates passed the pro-life resolution, stating, "we reaffirm our long-standing policy of not inviting to any Knights of Columbus event, persons, especially public officials or candidates for public office,...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CNS) -- Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the second highest ranking official at the Vatican, told members of the Knights of Columbus that he is taking a personal interest in the beatification process for the order's founder, Father Michael McGivney. "I hope this recognition (of sanctity) will arrive soon, and I'll personally work on this, so that this day will come soon," Cardinal Bertone said during his homily, delivered in Italian, at the Aug. 7 opening Mass of the Knights of Columbus' 125th annual national convention at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Cardinal Bertone's comments on the sainthood cause...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Vatican's secretary of state celebrated Mass Tuesday morning at the Knights of Columbus annual meeting -- marking his first U.S. appearance since taking over the position last yearCardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who as the Vatican's secretary of state is the pope's top aide, was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in September 2006.Bertone, the Mass' principal celebrant who said much of it in Italian while an English interpreter translated, said the pope wanted him to convey his "cordial greetings.""Please be assured of the Holy Father's spiritual closeness and of a special remembrance in his prayers at this time,"...

New Haven, Nov. 28, 2006 (CNA) - International Catholic lay fraternal organization, the Knights of Columbus, have begun their “spiritual pilgrimage,” with Pope Benedict XVI as he arrives in Turkey today.  As previously reported, the Knights will pray for the Pope’s intentions as he makes his historic visit to the Muslim country. Supeme Knight, Carl A. Anderson noted that, “Only a few Catholics can physically travel with the Holy Father to Turkey, but millions of us can be united with him in prayer during his pilgrimage for peace.” “We will ask Our Lady of Fatima to intercede for the Pope...

(PAUL HENRY WOOD (AMERICAN, 1871-92), “ABSOLUTION UNDER FIRE,” 1891 OIL ON CANVAS, 72 X 102 IN. UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME COLLECTION OF THE SNITE MUSEUM OF ART, UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME, AA.76.57)Editor’s Note: The following address was given at the first Knights of Columbus Eucharistic Congress in Washington, D.C., June 22, 2002. In the beautiful rolling hills of western Maryland lies the historic battlefield of Antietam. There on Sept. 17, 1862 (“the Glorious 17th”) was fought the bloodiest battle of any American war. More than 20,000 soldiers from both sides of the Civil War lay dead or wounded. The battle...

Happy 3rd Anniversary Dragonflies' Lair and Poets Our Poets bentfeather fatima Hope and Glory Knitting A Conundrum Lady Jag Liberty Belt NicknamedBob Reaper Freeper Scubie Nuc starbase Texas Songwriter WayzataJohnn We the poets of the Lair, thank all who support us. We hope to be here a long time, singing our songs riding the stars, writing our own visions, and best of all, loving all who continue to lurk and visit here over the years. We write of love, we write of war, we write of sorrow, we write of Knights and Kingdoms from before, we write of drawing...

ORLANDO - The Knights of Columbus have adopted, this week, significant resolutions on a number of critical social issues including marriage, the sacredness of life, the Pledge of Allegiance, school choice, and support for military men and women. The resolutions, adopted yesterday at the 124th Supreme Council Meeting, held in Orlando, Florida, serve to formally state the Knights’ stance on the issues, most of which they have been involved with previously. The first resolution states that Marriage, which is the foundation of society and provides the best environment for raising children, “is under siege in our culture” by the movement...

The Order of the Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus and dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. There are more than 1.7 million members in 14,000 councils, including nearly 200 on college campuses. Membership is limited to "practical Catholic" men who are at least 18 years old. Councils have been chartered in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, the Philippines, Guam, Saipan and most recently in Poland. All the Order's ceremonials and business meetings are restricted to...

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Gunfire erupted as hundreds of young people left a party at a Knights of Columbus hall early Sunday, killing two men and injuring nine, some critically, police said.

My Dragon Fly and Me If I could be a Dragon Fly and wing my way through the sky I would never be shy just me and my Dragon Fly! By moonlight we ride the wind chase the comets tail for fun by day we would hide from the sun our fragile wings would come undone On darkest nights we would use fireflies as our guide we would dip and we would glide through the heavens open wide and scatter diamonds in the night sky my Dragon Fly and me... And we would wing past our lovers silent in...

ANNAPOLIS, Md., July 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Knights of Columbus has asked the Maryland Court of Special Appeals to overturn a decision by Baltimore Circuit Court Judge M. Brooke Murdock, which held that a law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman is irrational and thus a violation of the Maryland Constitution. The decision, issued on January 20, 2006, declared that "This court is unable to find that preventing same- sex marriage rationally relates to Maryland's interest in promoting the best interests of children." The amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief filed by the...

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 7, 2006 – Hitting the mark as they always do, members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team jumped into the middle of the 2006 McDonald's Air and Sea Show here yesterday. Preparations for a jump into the 2006 McDonald's Air and Sea Show at Fort Lauderdale Beach continue as the Army's Golden Knights parachute team waits to reach the jump zone. Sgt. 1st Class Paul Sach, left, the Black Demonstration Team leader, prepares the streamers that will help determine wind direction. Cpl. Joshua Coleman, center, puts his gloves on while Sgt. Hector Ceja,...