Berkley Center

On March 13, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope and chose the name Francis. Ten years later, the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life is pleased to host a conversation with one of Pope Francis’ closest Vatican collaborators on the global mission of Pope Francis and the universal message of his encyclical Fratelli tutti.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., is the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development since 2022. For the previous five years, served as an under-secretary of the Dicastery's Migrants and Refugees Section reporting directly to Pope Francis. Earlier he was involved in work for peace, justice, and care for creation in the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and before that in various Jesuit initiatives around the world. Pope Francis named him a cardinal in 2019. He has represented Pope Francis on two trips to Ukraine and surrounding areas since the war began a year ago. Recently, with Christian Barone, he co-authored Siblings All, Sign of the Times: The Social Teaching of Pope Francis (2022). 

This timely conversation and dialogue focused on the ten years of Pope Francis’ teaching on migration and refugees, war and peace, human life and dignity, and economic and environmental justice. Cardinal Czerny was joined in dialogue by Anthony Annett, author of Cathonomics: How Catholic Tradition Can Create a More Just Economy (2022); Joan Rosenhauer, executive director of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA; and Gulzeyin Sharipova-Khalibaeva (G'24), a graduate student at Georgetown from Kyrgyzstan.

Thomas Banchoff, vice president for global engagement and director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, opened the dialogue. John Carr, founder of the Initiative and former director of justice and peace efforts of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, moderated the discussion.

There was a reception after the dialogue. Copies of Siblings All, Sign of the Times: The Social Teaching of Pope Francis and Cathonomics: How Catholic Tradition Can Create a More Just Economy were available for purchase.

This dialogue was co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University. It is the second Initiative gathering on “The Francis Factor at Ten Years” and is a part of the Initiative’s tenth anniversary programming in 2023.

Public Health Measures: This gathering complied with Georgetown’s COVID-19 protection measures, including all those who attend must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or attest to having a medical or religious exemption from being vaccinated. All visitors must complete the COVID-19 visitor registration for this event.