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Pope Leo XIV to present Sustainability Medal named in his honor
The Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal, a new international honor created by Villanova University to recognize outstanding leadership in sustainability and integral human development, will debut at the 2026 Villanova International Sustainability Conference in Rome and Castel Gandolfo and be presented by the Holy Father himself.
By Vatican News
Villanova University and its Office for Sustainability have established the Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal, a new international honor recognizing individuals whose leadership has advanced sustainability, ecological responsibility, and integral human development.
The Medal, Villanova explained in a press release, “seeks to honor those whose work demonstrates a holistic vision of sustainability, integrating care for the environment, social justice, concern for vulnerable populations, and responsible stewardship of economic and natural resources.”
The US-based Augustinian university added that it evaluates integral ecology over pure technical metrics.
Recipients may come from any field or discipline and will be selected based on their demonstrated impact in advancing a more sustainable and equitable world.
Sustainability Conference this October
The inaugural Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal will be presented by the Holy Father in Castel Gandolfo during the Villanova International Sustainability Conference: Responding to the Cries of the Earth and the Poor, from October 12–15, 2026.
The Conference will bring together approximately 300 participants—including academics, researchers, Church representatives, foundations, and public and private sector leaders—in a transdisciplinary forum designed to move from dialogue to concrete, collaborative action.
The inaugural Medal winner will be announced in September 2026, ahead of the Conference and the official award ceremony at Borgo Laudato si’ in Castel Gandolfo.
“The Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal reflects a deeply held belief at Villanova University: that care for our common home and care for one another are inseparable,” said Villanova University President Fr. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD.
“By recognizing leaders whose work advances both environmental stewardship and the common good,” he said, “we hope to inspire meaningful and lasting impact in communities around the world.”
Villanova alumnus
Pope Leo XIV, then Robert F. Prevost, earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova in 1977, and the University later awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree in 2014.
The Medal will be awarded every two years by Villanova University, as part of the institution’s commitment to advancing global sustainability initiatives and fostering integral ecology.
It will be presented as part of Villanova’s International Sustainability Conference official program.
For the inaugural 2026 award, nominees were selected through a review process conducted by members of the University’s Sustainability Leadership Council.
Inseparable bond between care for creation and the promotion of human dignity
The 2026 International Sustainability Conference will be hosted between the Patristicum in Rome and the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education at Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo.
The Conference is being organized in dialogue with several institutional partners, including the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Laudato si’ Center for Higher Education, established by Pope Francis to promote integral ecological formation, sustainability education and initiatives inspired by Laudato si’.
Cardinal Fabio Baggio, C.S., Director General of the Laudato si’ Center for Higher Education, welcomed the initiative, saying the Medal for Sustainability honors individuals “whose lives bear witness to the inseparable bond between care for creation and the promotion of human dignity, rooted in the light of our faith.”
“By recognizing this extraordinary commitment,” Cardinal Baggio said, “the Medal celebrates leaders whose example inspires future generations to embrace an integral ecology that responds with hope to both the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.”
(D.C.L.)
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