Pope Leo XIV praises Knights of Columbus for funding St. Peter’s restorations and championing life’s sanctity amid Jubilee pilgrimage. A testament to faith and charity.
Newsroom (06/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV on Monday expressed gratitude to the Knights of Columbus for their global charitable endeavors, particularly their support for Vatican restoration projects and commitment to defending human life at every stage.
The pontiff’s remarks came during a private audience in Rome with the board of directors of the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization, founded in 1882 by Blessed Michael McGivney. The group is in the Eternal City as part of a pilgrimage tied to the ongoing Jubilee of Hope, a Holy Year event drawing millions of faithful.
In his address, Leo XIV highlighted the order’s pivotal role in funding the first-ever comprehensive restorations of two iconic artworks in St. Peter’s Basilica: Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s 17th-century baldacchino, the towering bronze canopy over the main altar, and the Cathedra Petri, the bronze throne encasing the chair of St. Peter.
“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,” the pope said, crediting the Knights’ contributions through initiatives like the Vicarius Christi Fund.
That fund, he noted, has historically enabled popes to aid the world’s poor and vulnerable, underscoring the order’s “visible sign of your continued devotion to the Vicar of Christ.”
Leo XIV also praised the Knights’ grassroots efforts via thousands of local councils worldwide, where members rally to “uphold the sanctity of human life in all of its stages, assist victims of war and natural disasters, and support priestly vocations.”
Tens of millions of pilgrims have already flocked to Rome since the Jubilee began, the pope said, with many pausing to admire the newly restored Bernini works, which “now shine forth in all of their original beauty.”
In closing, Leo XIV invoked blessings on the board members and their families, urging that their pilgrimage “nourish your faith, confirm you in hope, and deepen your love for the Church.” He encouraged them to carry forward McGivney’s vision, “strengthened to continue the worthy mission begun by your noble founder.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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