War and the wounded Earth: the impact of conflict on creation

St Mary’s University and the Department for Social Justice of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales are hosting an event to mark the close of the season of creation on “War and the wounded Earth: the impact of conflict on creation”.

Bridging the academic and religious, and drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’, which underscores the moral imperative of responsibly stewarding God’s creation, the event will address the often-overlooked ecological challenges posed by war and conflict. It will also explore how these conflicts exacerbate environmental degradation globally and present case studies that highlight their long-term impacts on biodiversity and vulnerable ecosystems. By showcasing past projects and communities that have successfully reversed environmental damage caused by conflict, the panel will seek to illustrate that hope, healing, and restoration is possible.

After the short talks, there will be opportunity to ask questions.

The panel

The event will be chaired by Bishop John Arnold, Lead Bishop for the Environment. We are delighted that Sr Alessandra Smerilli, Secretary to the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, will join us and offer some words of introduction.

The other speakers will be:

• Tim Hill MBE (Chief Executive Officer/National Director of Stella Maris and former British Army Commander)
• Philip Booth (Director of Catholic Mission and Professor of Finance, Public Policy and Ethics at St Mary’s University and Director of Policy and Research at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales)
• Anna Blackman (Lecturer in Catholic Religious Education at the University of Glasgow).