By Abbas Nazil
The Vatican will host an international seminar titled “Creation, Nature, Environment for World Peace” on 11 and 12 September at the Casina Pio IV, with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, opening the event.
The seminar is organized by the Council of Higher Studies of the Pontifical Academy of Theology and will feature four thematic panels bringing together voices from the Church as well as business, cultural, and social leaders from around the world.
The gathering will serve as a platform for reflection on the pressing challenges facing humanity and the urgent need to safeguard creation while promoting peace and the common good.
The program emphasizes that the Church is calling not only its members but also all people of goodwill to discern pathways that reaffirm peaceful coexistence, the well-being of humanity, and the care of the environment.
Organizers highlight that the seminar will draw on rich sources of inspiration, including the Message of Pope Leo XIV for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, the Canticle of the Creatures by St. Francis of Assisi, Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Redemptor Hominis, the reflections of Pope Benedict XVI on human ecology, as well as Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ and Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum.
Speakers will examine how these teachings and reflections continue to provide guidance for addressing modern crises such as climate change, environmental degradation, and threats to peaceful coexistence, while urging collective responsibility and renewed vision for integral human development.
The two-day program will conclude with a Eucharistic celebration in Saint Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Archbishop Antonio Staglianò, President of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, at 5:30 PM on Friday, 12 September.
A papal audience is also scheduled for Saturday, 13 September, at 11:00 AM, providing participants with the opportunity to hear directly from Pope Francis on the significance of safeguarding creation as a pathway to peace.
The seminar is supported by several business partners including Arpinge, Polideck, Guglietta Global, His Way at Work, and NTT DATA.
With their backing, the Pontifical Academy of Theology has been able to promote initiatives in Italy and worldwide in line with its renewed statutes, which were updated in 2023 through the Motu Proprio Ad Theologiam Promovendam.
Participants are expected to use the discussions not only to highlight urgent concerns but also to chart practical steps for cooperation across religious, cultural, and social boundaries in advancing peace and environmental protection.
By convening diverse voices at the Vatican, the seminar signals the Church’s ongoing commitment to bridging faith, science, and social responsibility in order to respond effectively to global crises.
It also reinforces the message that creation and the environment are not marginal issues but central to the dignity of humanity and the pursuit of a more peaceful and sustainable world.
