Cardinal Czerny announced as first recipient of Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal

Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, former prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, will be honored as the first recipient of the Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal in October.

Father Peter Donohue, OSA, president of Villanova University, made the announcement at a Vatican press conference on Sept. 14.

The medal, established by Villanova University and named after Pope Leo XIV , recognizes individuals who have worked toward ecological sustainability. The pontiff will personally present the award at a ceremony on Oct. 13 in the Borgo Laudato Si’ garden, part of the Pontifical Gardens in Castel Gandolfo.

Father Joseph Farrell, OSA, prior general of the Augustinians, was also present at Monday’s press conference.

Villanova University is a Catholic liberal arts university in Pennsylvania. Leo XIV, formerly Robert Prevost, earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1977 and an honorary doctorate in 2014 from Villanova University.

‘Sustainability is about accompanying those who suffer’ In announcing the recipient of the Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal, Donohue praised Czerny’s “extraordinary passion for justice, human dignity, and the care of creation,”…