Four Principles of the Knights of Columbus Are Distinctly Expressed in This Struggle of Evil Against Good, — Bishop Mykhailo Bubniy
During the 142 nd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, held in Quebec City (Canada), the national chaplain of the Order in Ukraine, Bishop Mykhailo Bubniy, expressed his gratitude for the unwavering support of various projects of the UGCC and the people of Ukraine
He said that “for three years now, he has been representing a country at war that is defending its right to exist every hour of the day.”
“The reality that the world has seemingly defeated long ago, relying on the highest values: the value of human life and the civilized development of society. But in this struggle of evil against good, the four principles of our Order—unity, charity, brotherhood and patriotism—are distinctly expressed,” Bishop Mykhailo Bubniy emphasized.
In his speech, the bishop thanked the Knights of Columbus community for their humanitarian relief and volunteerism, noting that “boxes of humanitarian aid with the inscription ‘Solidarity with Ukraine. Knights of Columbus’ were delivered to tens of thousands of Ukrainians who were wounded by the war.”
The bishop highlighted the organization’s charity, recalling how “convoys of trucks with humanitarian aid marked with the knight’s logo were among the first to bring much-needed aid.”
“We have witnessed the Knights of Columbus mobilize to provide emergency aid to the victims as fast as possible. We have experienced the joy of doctors in destroyed hospitals crowded with wounded civilians when our chaplains brought the necessary medical equipment and medicines, becoming a part of the sacrificial mission of a doctor saving lives to the sound of sirens and the whistle of rockets. The Knights of Columbus’ charity has acquired a gospel significance, as it has become a venue for the meeting of the Merciful Christ with a person in need.”
“The Brotherhood of the Knights of Columbus has no state borders or territorial boundaries,” Bishop Mykhailo Bubniy emphasized, speaking about the shelter for refugees from Ukraine.
The bishop called patriotism the highest degree and full belonging to the knightly community, recalling “hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian patriots who, from the first hours of the full-scale Russian invasion, defended their country, land and their wives and children.”
Bishop Mykhailo Bubniy also urged to honor the memory of tens of thousands of fallen soldiers, including “our fellow knights who sacrificed their lives for the Motherland and remained true heroes for us forever.”
“These sacrifices were a reflection of the Gospel of love that came from the lips of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John: ‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends’ (John 15:13),” said the bishop.
As already mentioned, the 142 nd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus is taking place on August 6–8 in Quebec City, Canada. Among the 2,000 participants from around the world is a Ukrainian delegation led by the national chaplains of the Knights of Columbus, Bishop Mykhailo Bubniy (UGCC) and Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki (RCC).
The UGCC Department for Information
