Catholic Climate Covenant Participates in the XI International Diploma “Leadership for Equity” in Rome
Rome, Italy | October 5–9, 2026
The International Academy of Catholic Leaders and the Pontifical University Antonianum in Rome hosted the Eleventh International Diploma conference, “Leadership for Equity,” from October 5-9, 2026. The program brought together participants from 18 countries across Latin America and the United States, representing diverse social, cultural, and ecclesial backgrounds, to reflect on Catholic leadership and its role in addressing today’s challenges.
Walter Francisco Mena, Hispanic Outreach Program Manager at Catholic Climate Covenant, participated as a guest speaker and panelist in a session titled “Laudato Si’ Today: Education, Innovation, and Leadership for Sustainable Human Development.” He was joined by Marcelo Cabrol, a specialist in education, innovation, development, and artificial intelligence, who explored technological transformation and sustainable development.
Drawing on Catholic Social Teaching and Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, Mena emphasized that sustainability is not only an environmental concern. It is also a human, social, economic, and spiritual responsibility rooted in our relationships with God, ourselves, one another, and creation.
Rather than delivering a traditional lecture, Mena led a conversation guided by a central question: “What needs to change in the way we educate, engage, and accompany communities so that people become active participants in transforming their own realities?”
He proposed a four-step approach to leadership formation and community engagement:
Inform → Form → Integrate → Act
This process moves beyond sharing information to forming leaders, integrating them into community life and decision-making, and inspiring collective action, particularly among young people.
For Mena, engaging with participants from 18 countries, bringing diverse experiences and perspectives, was a valuable opportunity for mutual learning and reflection.
The gathering also provided an opportunity to introduce Catholic Climate Covenant’s work in the United States, particularly its efforts to engage Hispanic/Latino Catholic communities through leadership formation, relationship-building, and care for creation.
“My experience in Rome reminded me that ecological conversion begins with our relationships — with God, with one another, and with creation,” Mena said. “Forming leaders is not simply about sharing knowledge, but about accompanying people and communities as they become protagonists of change. This is how we move from integral ecology to meaningful action.”
The experience reinforced Catholic Climate Covenant’s commitment to connecting faith, leadership, and community action to advancing a vision of integral ecology rooted in human dignity, solidarity, and care for our common home.
