Carl A. Anderson

Last updated

Carl Anderson

GCSG GCSS KGCHS
13th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus
Carl A. Anderson.jpg
Anderson in October 2009
Church Catholic Church
InstalledOctober 1, 2000 (2000-10-01) [1]
Term endedFebruary 28, 2021 (2021-02-28) [2]
Predecessor Virgil C. Dechant
Successor Patrick E. Kelly
Personal details
Born
Carl Albert Anderson

(1951-02-27) February 27, 1951 (age 72)
Torrington, Connecticut, U.S.
Nationality American
Denomination Roman Catholic
Spouse
Dorian Jean Lounsbury Anderson
​
​
(m. 1972)​
Children5
Alma mater

Carl Albert Anderson GCSG GCSS KGCHS (born February 27, 1951) is an American lawyer who served as the thirteenth Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus from October 2000 until his retirement in February 2021. [2]

Contents

Anderson is the vice president of the Washington session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. He serves as a member of the board of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He formerly served as a member of the Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America and the National Catholic Educational Association.

Education

Anderson holds degrees in philosophy from Seattle University (1972) and in law from the University of Denver (1975). He is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia and is admitted to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Anderson has received honorary doctorates from The Catholic University of America [3] (his wife also received an honorary degree at the same ceremony), The Pontifical Theology Academy of Kraków, [3] Sacred Heart University, [3] Albertus Magnus College, Ave Maria University, [3] St. Vincent’s Seminary, [3] St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and Ave Maria School of Law.

Leadership of the Knights of Columbus

As Supreme Knight, Anderson was the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization, which has more than 1.9 million members. Before his election in 2000, Anderson served as assistant supreme secretary and supreme secretary for the Knights of Columbus. Prior to that, he served for 10 years as the vice president for public policy in the Washington, D.C., office of the Knights of Columbus.

Support for Middle Eastern Christian refugees

In August 2015, Anderson announced that the Knights of Columbus had created a Christian Refugee Relief Fund to help raise money for Christians persecuted by ISIS. [4] The Knights also led an effort to document persecution against Christians in order to establish that ISIS was perpetrating genocide, as a declaration of genocide would help secure government aid and more private donations for the persecuted communities. This effort culminated in a 278-page report released in March 2016, which prompted then-Secretary of State John Kerry to declare that atrocities committed by ISIS against Yezidis, Christians, Shiite Muslims, and other minorities constituted genocide. [5] This declaration of genocide ultimately facilitated the unanimous passage of the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act of 2018. Rep. Chris Smith, who sponsored the bill, said that Anderson's House testimony "was the blueprint for the legislation". In addition to facilitating this legislation, the Knights donated more than $20 million in support of religious minorities in the Middle East between 2014 and 2018. [6]

Ultrasound initiative

Under Anderson's leadership, the Knights in 2009 launched their "ultrasound initiative", with the stated goal of donating 1,000 ultrasound machines to pregnancy resource centers during the following decade. The Knights met this 10-year goal. In 2019, Anderson said "Our ultrasound initiative is now the greatest humanitarian achievement in the history of the Knights of Columbus. ... We can, and I am confident that we will, save millions of unborn lives." [7]

Disaster relief

The Knights of Columbus provide donations and volunteer labor in response to natural disasters, such as donating wheelchairs after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and other similar disasters. [8] In 2020, they committed $1 million in response to COVID-19, primarily in donations to food banks, as well as encouraging extra volunteer work. [9] [10]

Career in public policy and academia

During the administration of Ronald Reagan, Anderson served in various positions of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, including special assistant to the President and acting director of the White House Office of Public Liaison. [11]

Following his service at the White House, Anderson served for nearly a decade as a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. From 1976-81 he was a legislative assistant to Senator Jesse Helms (R-N.C.). From 1981 to 1983 he served as counselor to the Under Secretary of Health and Human Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Secretaries Richard Schweiker and Margaret Heckler.

From 1983 to 1998 Anderson taught as a visiting professor of family law at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family located at the Pontifical Lateran University. Anderson became the founding vice president and first dean of the Washington, D.C., session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family in 1988.

Recognition

Pontifical honors

Anderson is a Knight Grand Cross of St. Gregory the Great, a Knight Grand Cross of St. Sylvester, and a Knight Grand Cross of the Holy Sepulchre.

Awards

Anderson was named one of the "100 Most Influential in Business Ethics" in 2014 and 2015 by Ethisphere. He was awarded the Order of Merit from the government of Poland and the Evangelium Vitae Medal from the University of Notre Dame in 2015. [12] He has received the Patronal Medal of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for his "distinguished service in the advancement of Marian devotion;" [13] the Archdiocese of Denver's Imago Dei Award; the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty's Canterbury Medal; [14] the Path to Peace Foundation's Servant of Peace Award; [15] the Pontifical North American College's Rector's Award; the Sisters of Life John Cardinal O'Connor Award, the Gold Palm of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and March for Life's Pro-Life Legacy Award. [16]

Collaboration with the Vatican

In 1998, Pope John Paul II appointed Anderson to the Pontifical Academy for Life and in 2002 to the Pontifical Council for the Laity. In 2003 he was named a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI named Anderson as a member of the Pontifical Council for the Family and as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. In 2009, Pope Benedict appointed Anderson to a five-year term on the board of supervisors of the Institute for Works of Religion, also known as the Vatican Bank. [17]

In 1994, he was a member of the Vatican delegation for the Fifteenth Meeting of the International Catholic Jewish Liaison Committee held in Jerusalem.

Personal life

Anderson and his wife, Dorian, are the parents of five children.

Writings

Anderson's 2008 New York Times bestseller, A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can Do to Transform the World, [18] was published by HarperOne. Beyond a House Divided: The Moral Consensus Ignored by Washington, Wall Street and the Media was published by Doubleday in 2010. He is the co-author, with Father José Granados, of Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II's Theology of the Body [19] (Doubleday, 2009) and Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love [20] (DoubleDay 2009) with Eduardo Chávez Sánchez, and is the co-editor with Livio Melina of The Way of Love: Reflections on Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Deus Caritas Est (Ignatius Press, 2006). His book, These Liberties We Hold Sacred: Essays on Faith and Citizenship in the 21st Century was published in 2021 by Square One Publishers. [21] His books have been published in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Polish, Portuguese, Korean, and Ukrainian.[ citation needed ]

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knights of Columbus</span> Catholic fraternal service organization founded in 1882

The Knights of Columbus is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Fr. Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. The organization is named after the explorer Christopher Columbus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic University of America</span> Private university in Washington, D.C.

The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Established in 1887 as a graduate and research center following approval by Pope Leo XIII, the university began offering undergraduate education in 1904. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Hahn</span> American theologian

Scott Walker Hahn is an American Catholic theologian and Christian apologist. A former Protestant, Hahn was a Presbyterian minister who converted to Catholicism. Hahn's popular works include Rome Sweet Home and The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. His lectures have been featured in multiple audio distributions through Lighthouse Catholic Media. Hahn is known for his research on Early Christianity during the Apostolic Age and various theoretical works concerning the early Church Fathers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Édouard Gagnon</span> Canadian Roman Catholic cardinal

Édouard Gagnon, PSS, OC was a Canadian Roman Catholic cardinal and President of the Pontifical Council for the Family for 16 years, from 1974 to 1990. He became a cardinal on 25 May 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint John Paul II National Shrine</span> National shrine in Washington, D.C.

The Saint John Paul II National Shrine is a national shrine in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. It is a place of prayer for Catholics and welcomes people of all faiths. The Shrine houses a permanent exhibit called A Gift of Love: the Life of Saint John Paul II and is home to the Redemptor Hominis Church and Luminous Mysteries Chapel, both of which are decorated with mosaic art designed by Rev. Marko Rupnik, S.J. Mass is celebrated daily in the Redemptor Hominis Church, and the Luminous Mysteries Chapel houses a first-class relic of John Paul II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus</span> Head of the Knights of Columbus

The Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus is the title of the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the Knights of Columbus. The organization comprises approximately 1.9 million members in more than 15,000 councils and operates an insurance company with over $109 billion of life insurance in force, as of 2020.

Virgil C. Dechant was the twelfth Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, a position he held from January 21, 1977, to September 30, 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Iasiello</span> American Roman Catholic priest and naval officer, former US Navy Chief of Chaplains

Louis V. Iasiello, OFM, USN is a Catholic priest retired US Navy officer who served as the 23rd Chief of Chaplains of the United States Navy from 2003 to 2006.

Herman Fredrick "Sparky" Gierke III was an American judge who served as the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces from 2004 to 2006. He was a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, from 1991 to 2006, and a Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court from 1983 to 1991. Gierke also served as the National Commander of The American Legion, from 1988 to 1989.

The Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America is a satellite session of the John Paul II Pontifical Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences. Prior to September 2017, it was a satellite session of the central session at the Lateran University in Rome. The institute is devoted to the study of the truth about the human person in all of its dimensions: theological, philosophical, anthropological, and cosmological-scientific. The institute views that it centers its study of the person in the community that is the original cell of human society: marriage and family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giuseppe Bertello</span> Italian prelate

Giuseppe Bertello is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church, a cardinal since 2012, who was President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and President of the Governorate of Vatican City State from October 2011 to October 2021. He worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See from 1971 to 2011; became an archbishop in 1987; held appointments as Nuncio to several countries, including Rwanda, Mexico, and Italy; and was the Holy See's representative to a number of international organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emil Kapaun</span> Korean War U.S. Army chaplain and Medal of Honor recipient

Emil Joseph Kapaun was a Roman Catholic priest and United States Army captain who served as a United States Army chaplain during World War II and the Korean War. Kapaun was a chaplain in the Burma Theater of World War II, then served again as a chaplain with the U.S. Army in Korea, where he was captured. He died in a prisoner of war camp.

The Pontifical Academy for Life or Pontificia Accademia per la Vita is a Pontifical Academy of the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to promoting the Church's consistent life ethic. It also does related research on bioethics and Catholic moral theology. The academy was founded in 1994. Its members are selected by the pope and are to represent different branches of biomedical sciences to promote the Church's life ethic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luis Antonio Tagle</span> Filipino Cardinal of the Catholic Church (born 1957)

Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle is a Filipino prelate of the Catholic Church currently serving as the Pro-Prefect for the Section of Evangelization of Dicastery for Evangelization since June 5, 2022, and as the President of Interdicasterial Commission for Consecrated Religious since December 8, 2019. He was the 32nd Archbishop of Manila from 2011 to 2020. Tagle is the Cardinal-Bishop of San Felice da Cantalice a Centocelle and also serves as the President of the Catholic Biblical Federation, Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, and as a member of various departments and dicasteries in the Roman Curia.

The orders, decorations, and medals of the Holy See include titles, chivalric orders, distinctions and medals honoured by the Holy See, with the Pope as the fount of honour, for deeds and merits of their recipients to the benefit of the Holy See, the Catholic Church, or their respective communities, societies, nations and the world at large.

The history of the Knights of Columbus and The Catholic University of America is one of "a close and supportive relationship" that dates back almost to the founding of the university. David M. O'Connell, then-president of CUA, has said, "It is difficult to speak about the progress of The Catholic University of America throughout its long history without, at the same time and in the same breath, mentioning the Knights of Columbus. So much of what CUA is today is the result of the generosity and support of the Knights of Columbus." The fourth rector of the University, Monsignor Thomas J. Shahan, congratulated the Order for having founded a "Knights of Columbus College" after a particularly large donation saved the University after a rocky financial period.

Patrick E. Kelly is the fourteenth and current Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. He was the founding executive director of the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. In February 2021, he was elected by the board of directors to succeed Carl A. Anderson as the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. His term started on March 1, 2021, and he was formally installed on June 11, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political activity of the Knights of Columbus</span>

The political activity of the Knights of Columbus deals with the involvement of the fraternal order in efforts to influence public policy.

The charitable activities of the Knights of Columbus include the time and money which are donated to charitable causes by the Supreme, state, and local councils of the Order of the Knights of Columbus. Charity is the foremost principle of the Knights of Columbus. At its 2019 convention, the supreme knight reported the Knights had donated $185 million and 76 million volunteer hours to charitable projects the previous year.

References

  1. ↑ "Carl A. Anderson | Knights of Columbus". www.kofc.org. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Knights of Columbus elect Patrick Kelly next Supreme Knight". Catholic News Agency. February 5, 2021. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "46th Commencement Honorary Degree Recipients Announced". Sacred Heart University. April 1, 2012. Archived from the original on December 25, 2015. Retrieved December 24, 2015.
  4. ↑ Gallagher, Tom (August 10, 2015). "Knights of Columbus Create Christian Refugee Relief Fund". National Catholic Reporter. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Head of Knights urges action by U.S. after Kerry's genocide declaration". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. April 22, 2016. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  6. ↑ "New law will provide relief to genocide victims in Iraq, Syria". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. December 11, 2018. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  7. ↑ Klemond, Susan (August 13, 2019). "Supreme Knight Carl Anderson highlights Knights' efforts worldwide". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Knights of Columbus wheelchair program to help Haitian quake victims". Catholic News Agency. April 29, 2010. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Knights of Columbus will provide funding, volunteers to help food banks". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. April 9, 2020. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Knights of Columbus called to redouble efforts to fight racism, violence". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. August 7, 2020. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  11. ↑ Geidner, Chris (February 2, 2015). "Nancy Reagan Turned Down Rock Hudson's Plea For Help Nine Weeks Before He Died". BuzzFeed . Archived from the original on June 15, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  12. ↑ "2015: Carl Anderson and the Knights of Columbus". Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  13. ↑ "University and National Shrine to Award Patronal Medal to Supreme Knight". Catholic University of America. November 6, 2013. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  14. ↑ "2007 Canterbury Medal Gala". Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Remarks Of Carl Anderson At 2016 Path To Peace Gala". Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  16. ↑ "2021 PRO-LIFE LEGACY AWARD: CARL ANDERSON". January 27, 2021. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Supreme Knight appointed to board of Vatican bank". Catholic News Agency. September 23, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  18. ↑ Anderson, Carl (March 25, 2008). A Civilization of Love: What Every Catholic Can do to Transform the World. Harper Collins. ISBN   978-0-06-133531-0.
  19. ↑ Anderson, Carl A.; Granados, José (2009). Called to Love: Approaching John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Doubleday. ISBN   978-0-385-52771-2.
  20. ↑ Anderson, Carl A.; Chávez, Eduardo (2009). Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love. Doubleday. ISBN   978-0-385-52772-9.
  21. ↑ Anderson, Carl (January 7, 2021). These Liberties We Hold Sacred Essays on Faith and Citizenship in the 21st Century. Square One Publishers. p. 304. ISBN   978-0-7570-0504-6 . Retrieved December 4, 2022.
Religious titles
Preceded by Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus
2000–2021		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.