NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly delivered the keynote address today at the Conference on Mensuram Bonam in Rome, hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS). The conference was inspired by Pope Leo’s call for a culture of encounter, in this case between our faith tradition and the investment world. It brought together representatives from Catholic Bishops’ Conferences, Catholic Religious Institutions, and experts from the faith-consistent investing (FCI) community.

In 2022, PASS issued a publication titled Mensuram Bonam, which sought to align the management of an institution’s or individual’s financial assets and investments with the Gospel and Catholic social and moral teaching.

• Attendees at the Conference on Mensuram Bonam pursued five objectives regarding Faith Consistent Investing (FCI):
• Share research and reflections on Bishops’ Conference FCI guidelines and Mensuram Bonam.
• Share lessons learned regarding the implementation of FCI guidelines.
• Share and debate global best practices and innovations in the areas of engagement and enhancement to make these aspects more tangible.

Consider how the content and debates at the conference can serve as an important input to the formulation of an Implementation Manual for Mensuram Bonam.Build further the global network of Mensuram Bonam ambassadors and practitioners, who are willing to assist those seeking to adopt FCI guidelines or improve further the work done to date.

At the conference, PASS also distributed a white paper, collaborated on by Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors (KoCAA), titled Investing With Faith. The Investing With Faith white paper demonstrates that investments aligned with Catholic social and moral teaching can both honor the Catholic faith and support the long-term financial performance needs of an institution or individual.

“The Knights of Columbus is grateful for the continued guidance of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences regarding investments aligned with Catholic social and moral teaching,” said Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly. “Mensuram Bonam is crucial because it summons the faithful to a deeper realization of who we are, and what we must do. This obligation has always been with us, but now an opportunity is before us. The combination of global economic growth and technological advances has given us a chance to embrace faith-consistent investing on a global scale. Such incredible sums of money can be a blessing to the world, promoting justice, peace, and human dignity. But this money could also be the cause of grief and destruction, if we allow it to be used in evil and immoral ways.”

Supreme Knight Kelly continued, “We’re often confronted with difficult questions, including, ‘What does it mean to invest in a way that protects human dignity?’, ‘What kind of investments truly advance the common good?’, and, ‘How can we, as Catholics, build an economy that fosters both solidarity and subsidiarity? We must bring together our significant financial resources to help build an economy that serves the human person.”

Deepak Devaraj, president and chief investment officer, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, added: “Our experience shows that over a full market cycle, faith-consistent investing matches — and often outperforms — traditional strategies. Every mutual fund offered by KoCAA is aligned with Mensuram Bonam and adheres to the Catholic social and moral guidelines set forth by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. KoCAA offers its clients a strong Catholic difference so they can invest with integrity. With KoCAA’s leadership, institutional and individual investors can invest in ways that honor the Catholic faith and support their long-term needs.”