To the mark the 51th anniversary of Earth Day and the 6th anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on climate change and environmental ethics, Laudato Si’, Gonzaga welcomes Daniel P. Horan, OFM, Ph.D., to campus to offer a lecture entitled, Beyond Laudato Si’: Embracing the Challenge of Franciscan Eco-Spirituality in the Age of Pope Francis.

From the beginning of his papal ministry, Pope Francis has sought to bring together two rich heritages: the Ignatian tradition of his Jesuit formation and identity with the Franciscan legacy of his papal namesake and inspiration. As we celebrate the fifth anniversary of his landmark encyclical letter Laudato Si’, which inaugurated renewed commitment among Jesuit entities to “collaborate in care for our common home,” this lecture considers some of the ways that a Catholic Jesuit University might embrace the challenge of Franciscan eco-spirituality initially signaled in Laudato Si’, but that have remained generally underdeveloped. In this way, we might not only appreciate the beauty, wisdom, and pastoral urgency in the papal document itself, but also build on it in the spirit of both the Ignatian and Franciscan traditions.