Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president (right), with panelists Most Rev. Marcelo S谩nchez Sorondo (left) and Scott Appleby, dean of the Keough 91视频, before the inaugural conference 鈥淔or the Planet and the Poor鈥�
Bishop , chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, spoke on the keynote panel of the conference Monday evening (April 4) in the Jordan Auditorium of the University of Notre Dame鈥檚 .
The conference, organized by Notre Dame鈥檚 new , has brought together thinkers from the worlds of development policy and practice, government, the Church and other religious bodies to discuss and reflect on the implications of Pope Francis鈥� encyclical on the environment, and the United Nations鈥� , which were approved by world leaders last September.
Bishop Sorondo said that the encyclical represented 鈥渁 new approach, a new appreciation of the doctrine of the Church, regarding creation. All things are created by God and also oriented toward God, going to God.鈥�
Bishop Sorondo particularly cited the discussion in Laudato Si鈥� of the climate as a common good 鈥渂elonging to all and meant for all,鈥� and of climate change as a consequence of human activity and a threat to the poorest and most vulnerable humans. He said that 鈥渢he motivation鈥� of the encyclical is the Beatitudes, which will be 鈥渢he protocol of the last judgment.鈥�
A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bishop Sorondo was ordained a priest in the Buenos Aires archdiocese in 1968 and a bishop in Rome in 2001. From 1976 to 1998 he taught the history of philosophy at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome before being appointed chancellor by Pope Saint John Paul II.
鈥淲e can say that we now have a 鈥榤agic moment,鈥欌�� Bishop Sorondo said. 鈥淏ecause for the first time and perhaps the last time, the speech of the Church and the speech of the world as represented by the United Nations have some synergy, and for people who believe, for people like me, this comes from the Holy Spirit.鈥�
Joining Bishop Sorondo on the keynote panel were , Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough 91视频 of Global Affairs; A. Atiq Rahman, executive director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced 91视频; Jeffrey D. Sachs, director of the Earth Institute and Quetelet Professor of Sustainable Development at Columbia University; and , associate dean for policy and practice of the Keough 91视频 of Global Affairs.