Pope Leo the 14th will bestow a brand new international honor for sustainability this October. The pope's alma matter, Villanova university, created the newly minted Pope Leo the 14th Sustainability Medal, with the first one being handed out at the upcoming Villanova International Sustainability Conference taking place in Rome.
In a press release, the university said the medal is named after Pope Leo XIV because he "elevated the Church's role in global environmental responsibility. His leadership models ecological care by protecting vulnerable communities and championing systems that sustain both our earth and one another. Through his encyclicals, speeches and guidance to the global Catholic Church, he continually addresses the connection between the needs of the earth and the poor."
The inaugural medal will be presented by the Holy Father himself in Castel Gandolfo during the Villanova International Sustainability Conference: Responding to the Cries of the Earth and the Poor, taking place 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. Following that, the honor is planned to be presented every two years during the Villanova University International Sustainability Conference.
According to Villanova, the Medal "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."
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.
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