At the opening meeting of the Council of the International Alliance of Catholic Knights held in Melbourne in October 2001, the National President of the Knights of the Southern Cross Australia, Brother Paul Sarks, presented a symbolic candle to the Council to mark the special fraternity with which his Order welcomed the Alliance to Australia.

This candle then burned at each session of the meeting and became recognised as a sign of the very special fraternity which had been generated between the National Leaders of the Member Orders and which had animated all the Councils proceedings.

It was therefore decided that the special spirit, symbolised by the flame of the candle, should be carried from this Council and handed on to all Member Orders of the Alliance 

The inauguration ceremony was held at the closing mass of the Council at which a candle, lit from this flame, was presented to the leader of each Member Order, who would return to his own National meeting and by the same means pass on the spirit of the Fraternal Flame, to each level and member of his Order.