05/21/2026
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Cristero War in Mexico. As Catholics in Mexico faced increasing persecution and even martyrdom at the hands of the government, the Knights of Columbus launched an international campaign to defend the rights of the Church. Pope Pius XI explicitly recognized the Order’s role in his encyclical Iniquis Afflictisque, published Nov. 18, 1926, in response to the persecution in Mexico: “First of all we mention the Knights of Columbus … made up of active and industrious members who, because of their practical lives and open profession of the Faith, as well as by their zeal in assisting the Church, have brought great honor upon themselves.” The memorial of the Mexican martyrs, observed May 21, includes six Knights of Columbus who were canonized by St. John Paul II in 2000.
This is an article that was published in Knightline!
https://www.columbiamagazine.org/news-culture/catholic-history/2026/05/viva-cristo-rey/