As Catholics, Knights of Columbus have the responsibility to work for the common good of society. Catholics--and especially Knights--must, in the words of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, "embrace their citizenship not merely as a duty and a privilege, but as an opportunity to participate in building the culture of life. Every voice matters in the public forum. Every voice counts. Every act of responsible citizenship is an exercise of significant individual power." The Culture of Life Legislative Initiative seeks to assist councils in becoming more effective in the public sphere.

“A health care system designed to save lives on the one hand must not become a vehicle for taking lives through abortion and euthanasia,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said in his annual report. Referring to health care legislation now before the U.S. Congress, he declared that “Health care reform must be abortion-free.”