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Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Ghana, a chief advisor to Pope Francis, will deliver the keynote address on Sept. 28 to mark the start of the four-day Boston College conference “Our Common Home,” which will explore the spiritual and policy implications of Laudato Si’, the Pope’s sweeping encyclical on climate change.
US Sen. Edward Markey ’68, JD ’72 (D-Mass.), a leading voice in efforts to combat climate change and preserve the environment, will also speak during the first day of the conference, which begins a day after Pope Francis concludes his US visit.
Between Sept. 28 and Oct. 1, the conference will offer a series of panels and speakers to address the impact of Laudato Si’ (Praise Be to You), subtitled “On Care for Our Common Home.” Released May 24, the 184-page treatise on climate change and the environment places concern for the natural world – both human and non-human – at the center of the Church’s teachings on social justice.
“Pope Francis is a new voice in the discussion about climate change and he brings significant influence to how people view the world,” said Associate Professor of Sociology Brian Gareau, one of the conference organizers. “That has helped to generate a great amount of excitement around the encyclical. The conference is a way to build on that excitement and dive deeper into the document and its many implications for societies around the world.”
The President for the Pontifical Council on Peace and Justice, Cardinal Turkson – who will deliver the Canisius Lecture in Robsham Theater at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 28 – has a broad leadership role within the Roman Curia. He is widely considered a likely nominee for the papacy in the future. He played a significant role in the crafting of the encyclical and its roll-out to the public.
Other scheduled conference speakers include President Obama’s chief science and technology advisor John Holdren; New York Times “Dot.earth” writer Andrew Revkin; Sister Maryanne Loughry, RSM, of Jesuit Refugee Service Australia, and an adjunct faculty member in the BC School of Social Work; Edouard Tetreau, of the European Council on Foreign Relations; Catholic Climate Change Executive Director Dan Misleh; and Commonweal magazine Associate Editor Grant Gallicho.
BC speakers include Professor of Sociology Juliet B. Schor, School of Social Work Associate Professor Tiziana Dearing, Associate Professor of Theology Sister Mary Ann Hinsdale, IHM, Professor of Theology Kristin Heyer and Kevin Brown, a PhD candidate in the Theology Department.
Sessions will examine how communities of faith can address climate change, the theological implications of the encyclical and the influence of the pontiff’s May announcement on the upcoming international climate conference, known as COP21, which will take place in Paris in early December.
On Oct. 1, the conference will feature a “What Can I Do ?” Fair which will connect students with study, volunteer and work opportunities focused on the environment.
For the full conference agenda, venues and registration, see www.bc.edu/centers/ila/our-common-home.html.
The encyclical offers pointed direction for the care of the earth to Catholics and other faith communities, said Daniel DiLeo, a graduate student in theology and a member of the organizing group.
“The encyclical shows ecological awareness isn’t an optional part of our faith, it is woven into the fabric of who we are as Catholics,” said DiLeo. “That is something that has consistently been part of Catholic teachings, rooted in Genesis, that humanity is part of creation, but at the same time has a responsibility to care for and cultivate creation. That is rooted in our faith tradition.”
The conference has been organized by a working group that has drawn from faculty in departments throughout the University, said Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences Noah Snyder.
With funding from the Institute for the Liberal Arts, the conference is cosponsored by more than a dozen campus offices, including the Jesuit Institute, the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, University Mission and Ministry, the School of Theology and Ministry and the departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Sociology and Theology and the Environmental Studies Program.
“What blew me away was how many people came out to make this happen and how quickly that excitement snowballed,” said Snyder, who also directs the Environmental Studies Program. “Climate change is a topic of great interest to students and the encyclical resonates so well with so much of our scholarship at BC. It’s been really fun to get this group of people together.”