Archbishop Coakley reflects on ‘the virtue of patriotism’ at Knights of Columbus dinner

Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), reflected on “the virtue of patriotism” at the opening dinner for the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention in Denver.

In the address, Coakley drew a clear distinction between authentic patriotism and distorted nationalism, emphasizing that true love of country must be rooted in virtue. “Patriotism is not first and foremost a political virtue; itʼs a religious one,” he said at the Aug. 4 dinner, which opened the 144th Knights’ convention at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center.

The archbishop of Oklahoma City, a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus, said patriotism naturally “flows from the Fourth Commandment ,” which commands honor toward one’s mother and one’s father. He said “it can rightly be understood as a form of familial love extended outward.”

Coakley cited St. Thomas Aquinas’ writings on piety from the “Summa Theologica,” in which the theologian explained the duties that one has for his or her nation, comparing them to the duties owed to one’s parents.

"The principles of our being and government are our parents and our country that have given us birth…