Pope Leo XIV will open the international Raising Hope Conference in Castel Gandolfo.

At today’s press conference in the Holy See Press Office, key voices including Lorna Gold, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cardinal Jaime Spengler, Minister Maina Talia, and Undersecretary Alessandra Smerilli presented the upcoming international conference Raising Hope—a historic gathering for our common home.

Taking place on Tuesday, September 30, the event marks a milestone in the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the Catholic Jubilee, and the commemoration of the Paris Agreement’s 10th anniversary.

Pope Leo XIV will preside over the opening ceremony on October 1 in Castel Gandolfo, broadcast live by Vatican Media. Around 1,000 participants are expected at the opening, with 500 invited delegates engaging in working sessions on October 2–3.

An unprecedented collaboration

“This conference has been organized by the Laudato Si’ Movement in close collaboration with major organizations and member partners—including the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Caritas Internationalis, CIDSE, the UISG, the Focolare Movement, and the Ecclesial Networks Alliance (ENA),” said Dr. Lorna Gold, Executive Director of the Laudato Si’ Movement. She emphasized the unique character of this event: “This unprecedented collaboration comes just a month before COP30, at a time when humanity urgently needs bold and decisive action.”

Gold recalled that in the final months of his life, Pope Francis encouraged the movement with the words vai avanti (“go forward”), and affirmed that Pope Leo XIV has carried this legacy forward with concrete gestures, particularly through the inauguration of the Borgo Laudato Si’.

“As we call on governments to act immediately, we are not willing to wait. This week’s conference seeks to discern how we, as non-state actors with significant reach to millions worldwide, can step up,” Gold stressed. She announced that by the end of the week the “Laudato Si’ 10 Pledge” will be launched, inviting participants and global supporters to commit themselves to the vision and mission of Laudato Si’. This collective pledge will be presented to COP30 as the Laudato Si’ Peoples’ Determined Contribution, standing alongside the official Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of governments, as part of a global ethical evaluation.

The path of Laudato Si’

“The tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’ is not an endpoint, but a new beginning. It calls us to renewed commitment in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequalities,” said Alessandra Smerilli, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

She highlighted the significance of the Borgo Laudato Si’, inaugurated this September by Pope Leo XIV, where part of the conference will be held: “It is a tangible sign and a laboratory for the future, where faith, ecology, and culture intertwine harmoniously.”

A voice from Latin America’s bishops

Cardinal Jaime Spengler, President of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil and of CELAM, underlined that “the ecological crisis we are experiencing demands decisions marked by ethics and the courage of statesmen capable of embracing the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.”

“Yes, the Earth is beautiful, and that beauty compels us to preserve it as a shared responsibility,” the Cardinal said. He also warned: “The ecological crisis is also a crisis of trust. The world will not be saved unless nations recover the capacity to believe in one another and assume common responsibilities grounded in justice, as Pope Leo XIV has reminded us.”

Looking ahead, Cardinal Spengler stressed that COP30, to be held in the Amazon, must be a turning point, bringing bold and binding decisions. “There are no lasting changes without cultural change, and no cultural change without personal transformation,” he concluded.

Politics and civil society united

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also addressed the press, reminding participants that “there is not a single human being who can stop pollution alone,” insisting on the need to “work together.” He urged millions of Catholics worldwide to become “defenders of the environment.”

“Talking is not enough; we must take concrete action,” he said. Recalling his time as governor, Schwarzenegger explained how he brought Republicans and Democrats to the same table despite a “disastrous situation.” “We were told that you could either protect the economy or protect the environment, but in California we proved you can do both.”

He appealed to personal responsibility: “Change begins with each of us. What have you done? Like the women who fought for the right to vote or the great popular movements of history, power lies with the people. God put us on this Earth, and we must leave it better than we inherited it. That is why I am thrilled to see the Vatican engaged in this change.”
Minister Maina Talia, Minister of Interior, Climate Change, and Environment of Tuvalu, delivered a moving call for help: “Every time tides rise or a cyclone hits, we risk losing our homes, our churches… It is a real threat to our people, to our survival. Climate change challenges our faith.”

“For the people of Tuvalu, a 1.5°C rise is not abstract—it is the difference between life and death. It means forced migration, food insecurity, loss of land, life, and culture. Our survival depends on urgent global commitment,” he urged.

A sign of hope

The conference coincides with the conclusion of the Season of Creation and will serve as a prophetic sign of unity. Over three days, leaders in faith, politics, science, and social movements will explore pathways to integral ecological conversion and formally announce the Laudato Si’ 10 Pledge, to be presented at COP30 as the peoples’ voice.

Alongside the official program, the morning of October 1 will feature a global ethical assessment of COP30 with 35 faith leaders at the Borgo Laudato Si’, joined by Marina Silva, Brazil’s Minister of the Environment. The conference will also include a Laudato Si’ Festival, celebrating the movement’s ten-year journey and showcasing the vitality of initiatives worldwide responding to the ecological crisis.