🌱 Sustainability Medal
Presentation of the first "Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal" to Cardinal Michael Czerny
📍 Borgo Laudato si', Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo
Pope Leo XIV personally presents Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, with the first "Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal", a new award established by Villanova University — the Pope's alma mater — to honor individuals whose leadership reflects an integral approach to sustainability, uniting care for the environment and social justice, to be conferred every two years. The ceremony takes place at Borgo Laudato si', in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, during the "Villanova University International Sustainability Conference" titled "Responding to the Cries of the Earth and the Poor", running October 12-15, 2026. The first recipient's name had been announced on September 14 at a press conference in the Sala San Pio X, attended by Cardinal Czerny himself, Fr. Peter M. Donohue, president of Villanova University, and Manuela Priesemuth-Payan, Villanova Faculty Director for Ethics and Social Responsibility.
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