Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and his wife greet Cardinal Robert F. Prevost on Sept. 30, 2023 / Used With Permission
CV NEWS FEED // On behalf of the Knights of Columbus, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly issued a statement celebrating the election of Pope Leo XIV and promising the loyalty of the Knights.
“On behalf of our 2.1 million members around the world, I pledge our loyalty to Pope Leo XIV as well as our prayers today and every day of his pontificate,” Kelly wrote, according to an emailed press release. “The Knights of Columbus will always stand in solidarity with Pope Leo XIV as we support the Church’s mission of evangelization through our works of charity and faith formation.”
Kelly noted that as the first American pope, the Holy Father has a strong familiarity with the Knights. Kelly added that he had met then-Cardinal Prevost in 2023.
“I know firsthand of his sincere appreciation for the Knights of Columbus and our service to the Church around the world,” he continued. “Our Order began during the pontificate of Pope Leo XIII — and in the years ahead, we will proudly stand with Pope Leo XIV as we seek together to build up the Kingdom of God.”
One of the defining characteristics of the Knights is fidelity to the Pope, Kelly noted, and thus Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral priorities will inform the work of the Knights.
The Knights of Columbus were founded in the United States in 1882, the press release states, and after the First World War, they spread their work to Rome at the request of Pope Benedict XV, opening sports fields for Rome’s youth.
Since then, the press release adds, the Knights have enjoyed a strong relationship with each succeeding pope. The Knights of Columbus recently sponsored the restoration of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s iconic Baldacchino over the papal altar and tomb of St. Peter and the Chair of St. Peter monument, both undertaken in anticipation of the Jubilee Year 2025.
