A Pilgrim of Hope

June 1, 2025

Knights of Columbus leaders attend Pope Francis’ funeral and honor his legacy of charity and fraternity, recalling his support

By Columbia staff

June 1, 2025

More than 250,000 mourners attend the funeral Mass of Pope Francis on April 26, 2025 — More than 250,000 mourners attend the funeral Mass of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on April 26. (Photo by Tamino Petelinšek)

Pope Francis made his final public appearance on Easter Sunday, April 20, delivering his Urbi et Orbi message from the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square. Greeting the gathered crowd with “Buona Pasqua!” (Happy Easter!), he then asked Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of pontifical liturgical celebrations, to read the message aloud.

“Christ is risen! These words capture the whole meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life,” the pope declared in what became his final words to the world. “Easter is the celebration of life! God created us for life and wants the human family to rise again! In his eyes, every life is precious!”

He died the next morning at age 88 in his Vatican residence at Casa Santa Marta. In a statement on Easter Monday, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly reflected on Pope Francis’ enduring witness of charity and fraternity — to the world and specifically to the Knights of Columbus.

“The more than 2.1 million Knights of Columbus around the world join Catholics and people of all faiths today as we mourn the death of our Holy Father Pope Francis,” the supreme knight said. “Pope Francis was a powerful witness to charity and fraternity, calling us from his first days as pope to reach out to the margins of society and serve those who are too often forgotten.”

He added, “Pope Francis was also very supportive of our efforts to help Catholic men be better husbands and fathers and take up co-responsibility for the Church’s mission of evangelization.”

Archbishop William Lori kneels before the wooden coffin of Pope Francis — Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori kneels in prayer before the wooden coffin of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Basilica on April 25. (Photo by Paul Haring)

A memorial Mass for Pope Francis was celebrated in Baltimore on April 21 by Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori. In his homily, the supreme chaplain recalled that the pope had declared 2025 to be “a Jubilee of Hope, a time of prayer and grace to deepen our hope in Christ.”

“He called us to be pilgrims of hope, who journey resolutely, even amid the sadness and setbacks of this world, toward the heavenly Jerusalem where Christ is seated at God’s right hand,” Archbishop Lori continued. “The heart of hope is the death and resurrection of Christ. And it is in the midst of the Church’s celebration of Christ’s victory over death that Pope Francis passed from this life to the next.”

On April 26, Supreme Knight Kelly and Archbishop Lori joined more than 250,000 faithful in St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s funeral Mass. The supreme chaplain was among hundreds of concelebrating bishops and priests, as Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, presided and delivered the homily. Following the funeral, Pope Francis was laid to rest in a private ceremony at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, becoming the first pope in more than 300 years to be buried outside St. Peter’s Basilica.

“It was a beautiful tribute to Pope Francis, but at the same time, it was a moment when we sought God’s mercy upon us all,” Archbishop Lori said in an interview with the Catholic Review, the official news outlet of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. “We pray for Pope Francis, but we also sought Pope Francis’ prayers for us.”

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly prays at the tomb of Pope Francis on April 28, 2025 — Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly prays at the tomb of Pope Francis in the Basilica of St. Mary Major on April 28. The tomb lies between the Sforza and Pauline chapels, near the icon of *Maria Salus Populi Romani*, before which the pope frequently prayed. (Photo by Paul Haring)

The pope’s tomb, inscribed with the name FRANCISCUS, lies in a side nave between the Sforza and Pauline chapels, near the ancient icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani (Mary, Help of the Roman People). He frequently prayed before this image, including before and after each of his apostolic journeys.

Throughout his 12-year pontificate, the Knights of Columbus drew inspiration from the pope’s call for the faithful to go out to the peripheries. In an interview with EWTN following the funeral, Supreme Knight Kelly reflected on his personal encounters with the Holy Father and on the pope’s appreciation for the Knights’ mission.

The Knights of Columbus and Pope Francis shared many priorities, he said, from evangelization to support for the unborn and those in most need. “All of this really touched Pope Francis’ heart,” the supreme knight added, “because it was helping the vulnerable.”

Supreme Knight Kelly met privately with the Holy Father five times since his election as supreme knight in 2021. “Pope Francis had a wonderful sense of humor, and he loved to laugh,” he said.

The supreme knight also recalled an encouraging farewell at the end of one of their meetings: “He gave us a blessing and said, ‘Go on, keep doing what you’re doing. It’s hard, but keep it up!’”