Cardinal George given Knights' top honor

Cardinal Francis George, who served as archbishop of Chicago for more than 15 years until his retirement in 2014, will receive the Knights of Columbus' highest honor at a lunch in Chicago on Friday afternoon.

The Chicago diocese covers Cook and Lake counties.

The Gaudium et Spes Award was established by the Knights of Columbus in 1992, with Mother Teresa as its first recipient.

Cardinal George has been a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1991.

"Cardinal George has proven over and over again one of the leading voices in the Catholic Church in the United States, and the Knights of Columbus is pleased to be able to honor him in this way for the great work he has done for so long," said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson.

Founded in 1882, the Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization, with more than 1.8 million members worldwide. Last year, Knights donated $170 million and 70 million hours of service to charitable causes.