Under the Chairmanship of the IACK President Brother Brendan McCann of the Knights of St. Columbanus, Ireland, the 30th Meeting of the International Alliance of Catholic Knights was held between the 14th and the 19th of September 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. It began with an extraordinary community mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, blessed with a letter from the Holy See of welcome and greetings from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
There were 9 of 11 Orders present.
The Alliance, comprised of Catholic Lay Orders around the world, acts on behalf of the Catholic Church and Catholic values. During the conference, delegates engaged participants with detailed reports which illuminated the outstanding work and achievements of each Order represented, as well as challenges that each Order is addressing or persevering through. Community service and Christian charity remain primary focal points of each Order, intentionally advocating for the totality of the Gospel of Life.
To culminate the International Alliance meeting, as Knights we shall:
- Promote our link to the Holy See and the Dicastery of the Laity, the Family, and Life to enhance the apostolate of the lay faithful, the pastoral care of young people, the family and its mission according to God’s plan, the elderly, and for the promotion and protection of life.
- Actively support the hierarchy of the Church including the Bishops, Priests, and religious.
- Introduce the idea of Lay Catholic Fraternity and unity to our larger communities.
- Defend the status and dignity of every human being.
- Minister to all God’s children through our words, works, and deeds.
- Be bold with our actions and commitment to serving our God.
- Actively engage in the internet space, and work towards optimizing the benefits and minimizing the threats of Artificial Intelligence.
- With support from all member Orders, remain committed to the International Youth Essay Competition and promote winners of the competition as a means of Evangelization around the world due to the Catholic themes/topics of the essay.
- Establish a sustainable framework to financially support smaller Orders to ensure their attendance at IACK Biennial meetings—for the good of the Alliance.
- Remain committed to the Michael Bell Award to promote and defend life issues by taking up the banner of advocacy concerning the “totality of the Gospel of Life”with a single category which will include both individuals and organizations.
Note: We proudly recognize Dr. John Edward as the 2025 Recipient of the award.
- Serve as the warriors/fighters for Catholicism, and regular confession is part of our training for the battle.
The Alliance congratulated 2023 – 2025 officers for their leadership and stewardship, namely IACK President Brother Brendan McCann, Knights of St. Columbanus, Ireland; IACK Deputy President Brother Robert van der Walt, Knights of da Gama, South Africa; and Secretary General Brother Frank Stanley, Great Britain.
The Alliance welcomed and pledged support to the 2025 – 2027 officers, namely IACK President Brother Charles Cobb, Knights of Marshall, Ghana; IACK Deputy President Brother Charles Mbelede, Knights of St. Mulumba, Nigeria; and IACK Secretary General Brother Frank Stanley, Great Britain.
The statement was signed on behalf of the Orders represented at the conclusion of the meeting by:
Michael Akinrele, Supreme Knight, Knights of St. Columba, Great Britain
John Murphy, Supreme Knight, Knights of St. Columbanus, Ireland.
Vincent Granahan, Supreme Knight of the Knights of the Southern Cross, Australia.
Errol Plaatjies, Supreme Knight, Knights of da Gama, South Africa.
Mathew Bland, Supreme Knight, Knights of the Southern Cross, NZ.
Dr. Christopher Pichon, Supreme Knight, Knights of Peter Claver, USA
Constantine Kudzedzi, Supreme Knight, Knights of Marshall, Ghana.
Charles Mbelede, Supreme Knight, Knights of St. Mulumba, Nigeria
James Kelly, representing the Supreme Knight, Knights of St. Thomas More Belgium