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����Ӱҵ mourns the passing of Pope Francis, a visionary leader whose groundbreaking encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, shaped global awareness and action on climate change.

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In 2022, ����Ӱҵ joined the first cohort of colleges and universities to answer Pope Francis’s call to join the Vatican’s Seven Year Journey to Become a Laudato Si’ campus, committing to ecological education, simpler living, reducing our carbon footprint, and supporting those most adversely impacted by climate change. Since then, the University has embraced Pope Francis’s teachings and deepened its commitment through the ongoing “Envisioning a Livable Future” conference series, which began in January 2025.

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The seven-part series, developed in collaboration with the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago, commemorates the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’ and seeks to amplify Pope Francis’s call for global dialogue and decisive action on environmental issues. In winter and spring 2025, it included four virtual panel discussions hosted by ����Ӱҵ. In fall 2025, there will be two more online events hosted by ����Ӱҵ and one in-person event at Loyola University Chicago.

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Guided by the Jesuit’s 2019 apostolic preferences, the “Envisioning a Livable Future” series aims to raise ecological consciousness, spotlight climate-forward initiatives, and promote both personal discernment and collective social action.

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To date, the series has engaged over 3,200 participants from across the nation and has received overwhelmingly positive feedback. For example, Jim Brown, a frequent attendee and Chair of the Healthy Earth Team at Bellarmine Chapel—a Jesuit parish in Cincinnati—found great value in the programming. He noted: “We often feel overwhelmed in the current milieu,” but through participating in the series “we were informed, inspired, and heartened.”

One of the academic voices helping to shape the series is Dr. Bernard Prusak, Raymond and Eleanor Smiley Chair in Business Ethics at ����Ӱҵ.

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“Pope Francis galvanized attention to the climate crisis,” said Dr. Prusak. “He was a pioneer in understanding that caring for the earth is also caring for the poor among us, and that caring for the poor demands caring for the earth. That’s why he spoke so often about ‘integral ecology’ and an ‘integral economy.’ Our series is trying to follow, deepen, and widen the path that he cut for us in Laudato Si’ and his papacy.”

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Sr. Katherine Feely, Ed.D., Director of ����Ӱҵ’s acclaimed Center for Service-Learning and Social Action, is also helping to plan and lead this national initiative. She said, “Examining Laudato Si’ from different perspectives through this conference series is important because the encyclical itself is a deeply interdisciplinary and inclusive document. Pope Francis intentionally framed the environmental crisis as not only an ecological issue, but also a moral, social, economic, and spiritual one. Bringing different perspectives, expertise, and experiences together is part of the richness of this series.”

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As Pope Francis wrote in Laudato Si’, “given the complexity of the ecological crisis and its multiple causes, we need to realize that the solutions will not emerge from just one way of interpreting and transforming reality.”

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����Ӱҵ’s upcoming virtual session in September will explore how financial systems can be reimagined to reflect an “integral economy” that aligns with Pope Francis’ vision—one that respects our planet and prioritizes the needs of the poor. The November session will examine the role of literature and the arts in illuminating environmental losses and inspiring preservation efforts.

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For more information, to view recordings of past sessions, and to register for upcoming sessions, visit .

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����Ӱҵ remains dedicated to advancing Pope Francis’s legacy by fostering education and action in support of ecological sustainability and social justice.