Press Release
DIGITAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES:
LAUNCH OF THE OBSERVATORY OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF THEOLOGY
A press conference to present the initiative will be held at the Vatican on Monday 18 May, during the week of Pope Leo’s visit to the Terra dei Fuochi and the anniversary of the encyclical Laudato si’
Vatican City, 12 May 2026 – In the age of digital information technology, which permeates work, services and social relations, the Pontifical Academy of Theology (PATH) is promoting the establishment of the Observatory on the contribution of digital technologies to the environment.
The official presentation will take place during a press conference, to be held on Monday 18 May at 15.00 in the Sala Marconi, Palazzo Pio (Piazza Pia, 3, Rome). The event will take place just a few days before the anniversary of Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato si’ and Pope Leo XIV’s pastoral visit to Acerra (Naples), during which he will meet the families of the victims of environmental pollution, the mayors and the faithful of the Terra dei Fuochi, the “Land of Fires”.
The press conference will be attended by:
· Bishop Antonio Staglianò, President of the Pontifical Academy of Theology (PATH);
· Reverend Fr. Giuseppe Marco Salvati, Prelate Secretary of the PATH;
· Reverend Paul O'Callaghan, PATH Governing Council, Pontifical University of the Holy Cross;
· Dr. Maria Siclari, Director General ISPRA;
· Daniela Alba, lawyer, Secretary for Social Justice and Ecology;
· Dr. Carlo Simeone, Secretary for the PATH Council of Advanced Studies.
The Observatory focuses on a number of key issues: the exploitation of natural resources and its environmental and social consequences; the growing energy demands of digital infrastructure; the new ‘human ecology’, spanning the digital environment and social relations; the impact of technology on young people – including addiction, misleading content and the erosion of social relationships – in a context that still lacks adequate regulation; and the development of proposals aimed at tech giants for a sustained commitment to reducing emissions and massive energy consumption globally. In this context, during the press conference, Dr. Maria Vittoria Trussoni (NTT DATA) will speak on the applications of technology in support of a more sustainable world.
The Observatory on the Environmental Impact of Digital Technologies follows in the footsteps of the Church’s teaching and is linked to the PATH’s mission. It draws inspiration from the words addressed to the Academy by Pope Leo XIV on 13 September, in which he called for “further and increasingly robust discussions, as well as incisive and fruitful initiatives” and affirmed that “environmental sustainability and the care of creation are essential commitments to ensure the survival of the human race; they have a direct impact on the organization of our societies and on the possibiity of peaceful and cooperative human coexistence. At the same time, any effort to improve the environmental and social conditions of our world requires the commitment of everyone, each doing his or her part, with an attitude of solidarity and collaboration that transcends regional, national, cultural and even religious barriers and limitations”.
The PATH initiative also reflects the call made by Pope Francis in his 2023 Motu proprio “Ad theologiam promovendam”, in which he emphasised the need to engage in theology not only to gain an intelligent understanding of faith in God the Creator and in Jesus Christ, but also to foster a proper, peaceful and constructive relationship between all creatures in the world. Furthermore, it reflects an awareness of the close link between development, technology and anthropology, as highlighted in the recent document by the International Theological Commission, entitled “Quo vadis, humanitas” (February 2026).
As Bishop Antonio Staglianò, President of the PATH, emphasizes: “The Observatory is called to grow in the realm of shared responsibility. The digital world today is closely linked to the issue of conflict: there can be no true peace without technology that respects humanity, relationships and creation. At a time when digital technologies are shaping the life of the planet and of communities, we intend to offer a space for dialogue and theological reflection capable of raising awareness among the business world and economic actors towards a use of technology that is truly sustainable, ethically oriented and attentive to the dignity of the human person. Only in this way can innovation become an ally in the care of creation and a promoter of an authentically peaceful, just and solidarity-based coexistence”.
Journalists and media operators who wish to participate in the press conference must apply, no later than 24 hours before the event, exclusively via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at: press.vatican.va/accreditamenti.
For further information and interviews: Dr. Marco Piras +39 3284177150 - stampa@path.va
