Modern-Day KnightsELIZABETH LEV Perhaps it has something to do
with the King Arthur stories I read as a child, but I have
always been fascinated with knights. The ideal of a noble and
virtuous warrior, protective of the weak but deadly to enemies,
seemed to be the perfect balance of manly qualities. Through the
years, I learned how faith inspired and upheld such men, whether
the Knights of Malta -- hospitalers by day and Mediterranean
SWAT team by night -- or the Templars, who had fought and died
to protect the Christian faith. But this week I had the pleasure
of meeting modern knights, not armed with swords and shields,
but employing the same bravery and virtue as they battle new
threats in contemporary arenas. Like their predecessors of old
they wear their deep love of the Gospel and their fervent
commitment to the magisterium more proudly than any medal-of-
honor or badge of distinction. Last week, the administrative
board of the Knights of Columbus came to Rome for a pilgrimage.
This turned into a wonderfu