Faithful Navigator’s Message

Why Are We Fourth Degree Knights?

To a certain degree, Fourth Degree Knights are the ones you probably envision when someone says Knights of Columbus to you. They were present in their distinct cape and chapeau regalia, or, now, the newer ORD (Official Dress Uniform & Regalia) uniforms at civic and Church events, acting as honor guards and color corps, or standing in respect at the funerals and wakes of fallen members.

But there is more to being a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus than a uniform. These Knights are the men who have chosen to embrace the Order’s fourth principle of patriotism, the men who lead the efforts to reach out to veterans and active military and to embody the fact that one can be a faithful Catholic and also a faithful citizen.

When the Knights of Columbus was founded in 1882, three principles united its members: charity, unity and fraternity. At that time, people feared that members of the Catholic faith owed their entire allegiance to the Church and could not be trusted as citizens of their country. Patriotism was added to the Order’s principles in 1900, based on the idea that Knights are loyal to both God and country.

We, as members of this degree, have the special honor of holding the title “Sir Knight,” participating in color and honor guards and organizing programs that promote Catholic citizenship. In the words of our Supreme Master Dennis Stoddard, “It is important, particularly in this day and age, that our Fourth Degree Assemblies encourage active Catholic citizenship and foster the spirit of patriotism in our members and the community at large.”

Not long before he died, St. John Paul II published what was to be his last book, Memory and Identity. He discusses good and evil, church and state, freedom and democracy, and the Communist and Nazi totalitarianism which produced so much human tragedy during the 20th century.

Pope John Paul II drew a careful distinction between nationalism and patriotism.

“Whereas nationalism involves recognizing and pursuing the good of one’s own nation alone, without regard for the rights of others,” he wrote, “patriotism … is a love for one’s native land that accords rights to all other nations equal to those claimed for one’s own. Patriotism, in other words, leads to a properly ordered social love.”

St. John Paul II notes that the word patriotism comes from the root word patria, meaning “home” or “native land.” It is related to the Latin word pater, meaning “father,” and so we sometimes speak of “fatherland” or “motherland” as well. “The concept of patria includes the values and the spiritual content that make up the culture of a great nation,” the pope wrote. “The very idea of ‘native land’ presupposes a deep bond between the spiritual and the material, between culture and territory.”

He goes on to say, “Patriotism is a love for everything to do with our native land: its history, its traditions, its language, its natural features. It is a love which extends also to the works of our compatriots and the fruits of their genius. Every danger that threatens the overall good of our native land becomes an occasion to demonstrate this love. … The native land is the common good of all citizens and as such it imposes a serious duty.”

So why are we members of the Fourth Degree? We are Sir Knights who value patriotism and pride in our Nation, dedicated to serving our Church, our Country, and our Order.

Vivat Jesus,
Jay Tippett
Faithful Navigator