PHILADELPHIA – Approximately 2,000 members of the Knights of Columbus from around the country and abroad gathered in Philadelphia Aug. 4-6 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center for the fraternal organization's 133rd Supreme Convention.

The theme for the three-day convention was Endowed by Their Creator with Life and Liberty, paraphrasing the famous words penned by Thomas Jefferson in the same city 239 years ago.

In a message to Supreme Knight Carl Anderson as the convention opened, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, sent good wishes and prayers on behalf of Pope Francis.

He also drew on the convention theme, saying Pope Francis hoped it would call attention to the duty of American Catholics, precisely as responsible citizens, to contribute to the reasoned defense of those freedoms on which their nation was founded.

The cornerstone of these is religious freedom, understood not simply as the liberty to worship as one chooses, but also, for individuals and institutions, to speak and act in accordance with the dictates of their conscience, said Cardinal Parolin's message.

When that right is menaced, whether by invasive public policies, or by the growing influence of a culture which sets alleged personal rights above the common good, the message continued, all citizens who are concerned for the overall welfare of society must mobilize to protect that right.

It also noted that Pope Francis is preparing for his visit to Philadelphia Sept. 26-27 and participation in the World Meeting of Families.

The pope, it said, expresses deep appreciation for the [Knights'] steadfast public witness … [of] our Christian understanding of marriage and the family.

The sacrament of marriage is, in the Creator's plan, a natural institution, a life-long covenant of love and fidelity between a man and a woman, directed to their perfection and sanctification, and to the future of our human family, the cardinal's message said.

Today, the institution of marriage is under attack from powerful cultural forces, it added, [and] the faithful are called to bear witness to this basic truth of biblical faith and natural law, which is essential to the wise and just ordering of society.

Baldwin writes for CatholicPhilly.com, the news website of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.