DALLAS — In greetings to the 122nd annual meeting of the Knights of Columbus, Pope John Paul II called upon the nearly 1.7 million members of the world's largest Catholic lay organization to spread Christ's message "to every sector of social, cultural and political life."Work within American society, he said, "for the promotion of social justice, the protection of human life and all forms of loving service to those in need."

More than 2,000 Knights and family members from throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Philippines met in Dallas Aug. 3-5.The theme of this year's meeting was "Now is
the Hour of the Lay Faithful," which the pope said was "one close to my own heart."

The lay faithful, the pope said,"by their lived witness to the Gospel in daily life, are largely responsible for the future of the Church."The pope called upon all Catholics to let Church teaching guide and shape their actions. Catholics, he said, must make a "concerted effort to overcome every separation between the faith they profess and the lives they lead."

"Promote the truths and values embodied in the Church's teaching," he said.

The pope also cited the "prophetic vision" of Father Michael J. McGivney, who founded the Knights in New Haven, Conn., when he was a 29-year-old assistant pastor at St. Mary's Church. Since its founding, the Knights has grown into a $52 billion fraternal life insurance company whose members annually raise more than $130 million for charity and volunteer 61 million hours of service for the Catholic Church and their communities. In 2003, the Knights presented the pope with a $2.5 million gift for his personal charities and sponsored a historic concert at the Vatican for reconciliation among Christians, Jews and Muslims.

This "impressive array of fraternal, charitable and educational services," said the pope, contribute to the renewal of the Church and the world. The pope also thanked the Knights for its promotion of vocations to the priesthood.

The pope concluded his greeting by imparting his apostolic blessing on the Knights and a "special remembrance in my prayers."