Pope Francis' Message to Knights of Columbus "All missionary outreach has its heart and beating pulse in the presence of our Lord in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass..." FULL TEXT
Pope Francis sent a message to the 142nd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, and invites everyone to pray for peace and work to build a “civilization of love.” The Knights of Columbus met in Quebec City, Canada, on August 6-8, and Pope Francis sent his prayers and support for their mission. From the Vatican, 24 July 2024
Dear Mr. Kelly,
His Holiness Pope Francis has asked me to convey to you his warm greetings and the
assurance of his closeness in prayer to all who will take part in the 142nd Supreme
Convention of the Knights of Columbus, to be held in Québec City from 6 to 8 August
next.
The theme chosen for this year’s meeting – On Mission – centers on the missionary
dimension of Christian discipleship that the Holy Father has stressed from the earliest
days of his pontificate. In his first Apostolic Exhortation, he reminded us that “every
Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in
Christ Jesus” (Evangelii Gaudium, 120). The foundation of the Knights of Columbus,
guided by the prophetic vision of Blessed Michael McGivney, was inspired by the urgent
need to bear witness to that love, above all in service to the poor and in apostolic zeal for
the building up of the Church in unity, fraternity and fidelity to the saving truth of the
Gospel.
In the pursuit of these noble goals, your Order, from its origins, has devoted great
attention to the formation of its members as men of faith and family. Over the generations,
the Knights have worked for the strengthening of family life through programs of
catechesis and spiritual growth, borne public witness to the centrality of the family as the
fundamental cell of society, and supported a variety of initiatives to support families in
their indispensable social and educational mission. This historic commitment has
included a particular concern for passing on the faith to new generations, instilling sound
values and accompanying the young in their growth to maturity as men and women of
integrity, wisdom and service to the communities in which they live. In his many writings
and addresses to young people, the Holy Father has frequently warned them of the
danger, in today’s fluid and often frivolous society, of becoming severed from the
religious and cultural roots that provide their deepest identity (cf. Christus Vivit,
179-186). For this reason, he wishes to encourage in a special way the Knights’
“Cor” initiative and sends prayerful good wishes for its spiritual fruitfulness.
All missionary outreach has its heart and beating pulse in the presence of our
Lord in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, offered for the peace and salvation of all the
world (cf. Roman Missal, Eucharistic Prayer III). In this past year, the cross-country
Eucharistic Pilgrimage in the United States, promoted by your Order, bore
impressive witness not only to the Church’s faith in the redemptive power of
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, but also his constant accompaniment of the Church
on her pilgrimage through history. In these times marked by new wars, conflicts
and social unrest, the Holy Father has been untiring in calling all Christians to pray
for justice, peace and reconciliation in our human family. He asks the Knights and
their families to persevere in offering their prayers and Masses for the triumph of
Christ’s peace in the hearts of all people and the building of the civilization of love.
Once again, the Holy Father takes this occasion to express his profound
gratitude to the Knights of Columbus for their concrete witness to the faith that
works through love (cf. Gal 5:6). Together with the charitable activities of its local
Councils worldwide, your Order continues to give outstanding support and
encouragement to efforts to defend God’s gift of life at every stage of its
development, to uphold the dignity of the institution of marriage, and to advance
the mission of the Church in developing countries. His Holiness is likewise grateful
for the efforts of the Knights to care for the needs of our brothers and sisters in wartorn Ukraine, the Christian communities of the Middle East, and all those
experiencing persecution for their faith in Christ; these are causes especially close
to his heart as Pastor of the Universal Church.
In these months, the Church is preparing spiritually for the forthcoming
Jubilee Year, when countless pilgrims will pass through the Holy Door of Saint
Peter’s Basilica to encounter the richness of the Lord’s mercies poured out upon
our world through her apostolic ministry. It is the Holy Father’s hope that as they
contemplate the great Bernini baldacchino that soars above the Tomb of Saint
Peter, even now being restored to its original splendor through the generosity of
the Knights of Columbus, they will be strengthened in faith and in unity with the
Successor of Peter. His Holiness prays that the graces of the Holy Year will be
poured out in abundance on the Knights and their families as they strive to fulfil
their baptismal mission to be a leaven of peace and holiness in our human family,
weary of war and yearning for the peace that only Christ can give (cf. Jn 15:27).
With these sentiments, His Holiness commends the deliberations of the
Convention to the loving intercession of Our Lady, Mother of the Church, and he
cordially imparts to the Knights and their families his Blessing as a pledge of joy and
peace in the Lord.
Yours sincerely,
Pietro Cardinal Parolin
Secretary of State
Source: https://www.kofc.org/en/resources/events/supreme-convention/2024/papal-greeting24.pdf
Image : Knights of Columbus File photo of a previous visit of KofC's Patrick Kelly to the Vatican
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