About the Medal
The Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal is a newly established award created by Villanova University to recognize outstanding global leadership at the intersection of sustainability, ethics and integral human development.
It is bestowed upon an individual who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing sustainability and ecological responsibility in their communities and beyond.
The Medal is named after Pope Leo XIV, who 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.
Presented every two years during the Villanova University International Sustainability Conference, the Medal seeks to inspire leadership, encourage innovation and promote collaboration in building a more just and sustainable world.
The recipient of the Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal will be announced in September 2026 and awarded on October 13, 2026 at the Medal Ceremony.
About Pope Leo XIV
The first Augustinian Pope, Leo XIV—formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost—is the 267th leader of the global Catholic church, the first pontiff from the United States and a 1977 graduate of Villanova University.
Design of the Medal
The Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal was designed by Villanova University, where Pope Leo earned his undergraduate degree in 1977.
The obverse side of the medal depicts the official portrait of Pope Leo XIV, with the words Pope Leo XIV Sustainability Medal encircling the edge of the medal.
The reverse side of the medal features the coat of arms of Pope Leo XIV and his papal motto, In Illo uno unum, “In the One (Christ) we are one.” Through this motto, Pope Leo XIV calls the Church to perfect, undivided unity. This profound theological truth, rooted in Saint Augustine’s reflection on Psalm 127, directly shapes our approach to sustainability. We cannot separate our relationship with the Creator from our treatment of His creation.
