Papal nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown on Friday called on the country’s largest organization of Catholic men to be “soldiers of truth” in what he called a world “where truth is often disregarded”.

Speaking at the 12th National Convention of the Knights of Columbus in Manila, he lamented that many people “have become used to a culture in which truth is no longer a value”.

“We should always try to speak the truth because the opposite of truth is lie,” Brown said in his homily for the event’s opening Mass.

As Christians, he said that the 400,000-strong fraternal organization must continue to be “crusaders” for what is right and just.

“This is the way in which we can change the culture around us— by being men of truth… and shunning the father of lies who is so prevalent in today’s world,” he said.

More than a thousand K of C members from across the country gathered at a hotel in Manila for the annual convention, a first since the Covid-19 hit the country in March 2020.

With a worldwide membership of 1.6 million, it is also the largest organization of Catholic men in the world.

The Knights of Columbus is known for its charitable work, including supporting disaster relief efforts and funding scholarships for Catholic students.

The organization also sponsors programs and initiatives to promote the culture of life and defend the dignity of every human person, from conception to natural death.

“I beseech you to continue to be witnesses of the sacredness of human life… by doing everything we can to promote and to protect all forms of human life,” Brown added.