In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Your Excellency, dear friends,

I am pleased to welcome you this morning, all the members of the Board of Directors of the Knights of Columbus as well as your families who accompany you this morning as part of your pilgrimage in this Jubilee Year of Hope. How important that word is in itself: hope.

Tens of millions of the faithful have likewise come to Rome in this Holy Year to visit the tombs of the Apostles, walk through the Holy Doors, to be strengthened in their faith. One of the pieces of art in the Vatican that they undoubtedly see when they go through the Holy Door and enter the Basilica is the baldacchino of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, which now shines forth in all of its original beauty after the first comprehensive restoration in its history. Another, in the apse of the Basilica, is Bernini’s beautiful bronze monument protecting the Cathedra of Saint Peter, which was renewed at the same time. These masterpieces help all who look upon them to contemplate two of the principal tenets of our faith: the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and the Pope as the Successor of Peter who unites and guides the Church.

I would like to express profound gratitude to the Knights of Columbus for your generosity in making these projects possible. They are a visible sign of your continued devotion to the Vicar of Christ. Throughout its history, the Order has supported the charitable work of the Roman Pontiff in a variety of ways, including through the Vicarius Christi Fund, which allows him to express solidarity with the poor and most vulnerable throughout the world.

Through a variety of initiatives undertaken by local Councils, you and your brother Knights also seek to bring the compassion and love of the Lord into your local communities, including through your efforts to uphold the sanctity of human life in all of its stages, to assist victims of war and natural disasters and also to support priestly vocations. For these concrete actions, as well as for your daily prayers and sacrifices for the good of all God’s people, I express sincerely my warm appreciation.

Dear brothers and sisters, I wish you a fruitful pilgrimage and pray that your time in Rome, in the Eternal City will nourish your faith, will confirm you in hope, and deepen your love for the Church. In this way, may you be strengthened to continue the worthy mission begun by your noble founder.

With these sentiments, I entrust all of you to the intercession of Our Lady, Mary, Mother of the Church, and also of Blessed Michael McGivney, and I gladly impart my blessing to each and every one of you, your families and loved ones. Thank you very much.