Pope Leo urges Knights of Columbus to be ‘prophets of harmony’
The Holy Father said the order’s charitable mission puts Christ’s call to unity into action by bringing people together in service to those in need.
Pope Leo XIV urged the Knights of Columbus to cultivate unity and charity amid a divided age, calling members to be “prophets of harmony” in a video address to the order’s 144th Supreme Convention in Denver, Colorado.
The Knights’ 144th Supreme Convention centered on the theme “In The One, We Are One,” which the Holy Father connected to its foundational principles of unity and charity.
Grounding his message in Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper that His followers “would be one,” Pope Leo emphasized that unity cannot be assumed but must be intentionally fostered.
“The preservation of unity is often not easy, and it cannot be taken for granted,” the Pope said. “It must be actively cultivated through honest and humble dialogue.”
Pope Leo encouraged the Knights to bear witness to that unity within their families, parishes, and the communities where they live and serve.
“In an age all too often marked by division and pointed rhetoric,” he said, “there is a great need for prophets of harmony who seek to build bridges and strive to reconcile opposing positions wherever possible.”
The Holy Father presented charitable service as a practical path toward that harmony. By helping those in need, he said, bonds can grow among those who give, receive, and serve together.
“Charity becomes not only a response to human suffering” Pope Leo said, “but also a powerful means of fostering fraternity and strengthening the communion that is at the heart of the Christian life.”
The Pope connected that principle to the Knights’ charitable legacy, rooted in the work of their founder, Blessed Michael McGivney. He highlighted the order’s service to preborn children and expectant mothers, persecuted Christians, victims of war and human trafficking, and the poor.
“I express deep gratitude for your Order’s continued generosity to the less fortunate,” the Holy Father said, “and trust that your endeavors will continue to bear fruit for many years to come.”
The Pontiff concluded by entrusting the work of the Supreme Convention to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, and Blessed McGivney.
