This article was submitted by one of our readers. The individual writer holds their own views and opinions, and they are not accountable for the expressions and beliefs of their fellow writers. Authors are responsible for the factual accuracy of their work. Our commitment is to uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church and the Magisterium faithfully. We welcome and encourage disagreement and debate within the scope of the Magisterium's authority.
By Christopher Sampson
This past January in Washington D.C. myself and other members of the Templars Today, modern Catholic men and women from around the world who live out the Gospel by means of chivalry, enveloped in our white cloaks bearing the distinctive red cross, marched with thousands of others in the national March for Life to protest an abortion culture and to defend life.
The image of the knight riding forth on a holy quest with sword flashing overhead is engrained into our common psyche as one of those images of good battling evil and the forces of light overtaking those of darkness. It is the image of the hero standing his ground, rising above the surrounding shadows, defending those who could not defend themselves. Today though the sword has been replaced with the holy rosary and crusades are no longer fought in the arid Middle East but in living out one’s Catholic faith in the ‘everydayness’ in a culture that has grown increasingly detached from faith.
For almost a thousand years, the Church’s history has been interwoven with its share of knights and dames, men and women who have pursued, and continue to pursue still, the call of Jesus Christ by answering the call to a chivalric life, a noble ‘call within a call’. From the crusades and the founding of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher by Geoffrey de Bouillon in A.D. 1099, the Knights Hospitaller by Blessed Gerard in A.D. 1048, and the Knights Templar by Ugone di Pagani in A.D. 1119, Catholic men and women, each in their own way, have responded to the call of chivalry and the particular needs of their day and age by embodying the image of Christian knighthood.
One of the main charisms of Catholic knighthood has always been defense of the faith. In the last three years there have been around 360 attacks on Catholic churches in the U.S. alone, with three of these being in the last three weeks (as of this writing). From a woman throwing rocks through stained glass windows in a basilica in Maine to religious statues being stolen and smashed beyond repair, it only takes honest eyes to see that all is not well. There is a questionable shift in the mindset of part of the Catholic hierarchy. We can see this in the statements by the Portuguese cardinal-designate about the recent WYD whereby he pointed out that the Church wasn’t out to convert the youth to Christ or even to the Catholic Church, a curious statement if we as Catholics believe that the Church contains the fullness of revealed faith and that it possesses the incomparable gift of Christ present in the holy sacrament of the altar.
Yes, all is not well.
The Church, as it is, remains beautiful, life-giving, and holy. But it is the Church in its people, in its politics, and in its modern interpretation of centuries-old theological understanding which has strayed quite precariously away from the narrow and difficult road set before us by Jesus himself. Members of the clergy openly oppose each other, including last week Catholic priests ‘blessing’ same-sex couples in Cologne, Germany in defiance of their conservative archbishop. Members of the lay faithful are divided in Church teaching regarding anything LGBT, the definition of marriage, the use of contraception, the viability of euthanasia, etc. Even the very nature of the Eucharist is questioned by about 2/3 of professing Catholics who deny faith in the Real Presence. Though the Church has always had its share of suffering, it can be argued that we are witnessing a time of suffering for the Church brought about by those within her ranks, something few would have imagined.
The Bride is suffering, and where are her knights to defend her?
Modern knights can fulfill their role in the Church to defend the faith and defend the faithful by first working, in cooperation with God’s grace, to change themselves. A convinced Catholic will have an easier time convincing others. None of us have joined chivalric orders or experienced their various traditions in order to stay the same. Day by day a knight or dame strives to achieve a greater sense of personal holiness by working on correcting their faults tirelessly (cf. Mt. 11:12).
It is also my argument that the methods and aims of the past used by chivalric organizations are only addressing part of the issue. Charity drives and fundraising competitions do great good, there is no question, but the fight has moved interiorly, to how we speak and how we define the faith itself. It has become a divisive battle over semantics and intention. It is about becoming lost in the words over the actions and in affirming ourselves rather than challenging ourselves to personal holiness through self-denial, detachment, and the cross. This is where knights and dames should now be positioned, and bring back a sense of balance. The beauty of the Catholic faith should be seen in the ministry of presence that knights and dames can carry out, in the traditions of knighthood, and in its symbols. Chivalry is a part of our tradition as a Church and those who live according to a chivalric Rule, whether one is a Templar, a knight of the Holy Sepulcher, or a Hospitaller, should be embraced by the Church and its leaders.
If not, and the faith is weakened, and the chivalric orders are discouraged from assisting the Church in its mission, the purpose behind our acts of charity as Christians will soon disappear and the inclusion of love into how we live will become unimportant as well to the average person. Truth will lose objectivity and the practice of faith will be defined as an antiquated idea. If we are honest, we are already seeing this…
It is Catholic knighthood that can bring back the sense of Catholic spiritual discipline, fidelity to the Pope, devotion to Mary our Queen and to the Eucharist. It can demonstrate that the striving for virtue, as the knights of old were famous for, is demonstrable and achievable, even in the spiritual darkness and chaos of our current age. Knighthood, as we say as Templars, cannot be bought or sold. It can only be earned. As the commander for Missouri, this is the challenge I put forth for my Templars brothers and one I am sure that would be echoed by the knights of the Holy Sepulcher, by the knights Hospitaller, and so many other chivalric organizations.
To all Catholic knights and dames I say this, Rise up, O knights and dames of Christ! You were born for such a time as this! Do not be afraid of the battle.
Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini Tuo da gloriam.
This article was submitted by one of our readers. The individual writer holds their own views and opinions, and they are not accountable for the expressions and beliefs of their fellow writers. Authors are responsible for the factual accuracy of their work. Our commitment is to uphold the teachings of the Catholic Church and the Magisterium faithfully. We welcome and encourage disagreement and debate within the scope of the Magisterium's authority.