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Pope Francis kisses child in St. Peter's Square on Nov. 6, 2013.neneo / Shutterstock.com

Pope Francis has thanked the Knights of Columbus for their efforts in defending religious freedom in the public square in regards to what he called the “well-known and growing threats to the integrity of marriage and the family.”

“His Holiness is grateful for the active role played by the Knights to resist efforts to restrict religion to the purely personal sphere, to defend its proper place in the public square and to encourage the lay faithful in their mission of shaping a society which reflects the truth of Christ and the values of his Kingdom,” Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin wrote on behalf of Pope Francis.

The July 28 message to the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization was sent on the occasion of the Knights’ 132nd Supreme Convention in Orlando, Florida, United States. The entire message was published by Vatican Radio August 7.

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The papal message highlighted the link between religious freedom and defending marriage and family:

Of particular concern in this regard are the well-known and growing threats to the integrity of marriage and the family. These call not only for vigilance and a consistent public witness, but also for convincing presentations of Christian moral teaching in the light of a sound anthropological vision centered on human dignity and the correct use of our God-given freedom.

The Holy Father is grateful for the efforts of your Order to provide its members with ongoing instruction in the faith and to instill a strong sense of civic responsibility.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson has openly criticized the Obama administration’s attacks on faith-based groups, saying in 2012, “If America amputates religion from American public life, liberty will soon vanish as well.”

In 2008 Pope Benedict XVI offered his thanks to the Knights for their efforts in promoting the culture of life.

“I express my appreciation of your efforts to provide a solid formation in the faith for young people, and to defend the moral truths necessary for a free and humane society, including the fundamental right to life of every human being,” he said at the time.