The work of the Knights of Columbus in defending and promoting religious liberty in the United States has not gone unnoticed at the Vatican.

In a letter to the knights last week, Pope Benedict XVI lauded the organization for “working tirelessly to help the Catholic community recognize and respond to the unprecedented gravity of these new threats to the Church’s liberty and public moral witness.” In doing so, the pope wrote that the knights “have proudly lived up to the high religious and patriotic principles which inspired its founding.”

Each of the Knights’ state councils passed a resolution supporting religious freedom, and Supreme Knight Carl Anderson has written and spoken out about the mandate as well as other threats to religious liberty.

In his letter, the pontiff stressed the “urgent need” for a well-formed laity that is both engaged and articulate in the public arena. The pope voiced confidence that the knights will continue their legacy of “providing sound inspiration, guidance and direction to a new generation of faithful and dedicated Catholic laymen.”

Along with the pope, we also offer kudos to the knights for standing up for religious liberty and pointing the way for all Catholics to do likewise.