On August 17th, 2011, at the Colegio Roncalli in Madrid, a panel of four speakers presented an officially sponsored cultural event for World Youth Day on the environment entitled “Discovering Christ in the Beauty of Ecology”. Among the speakers were Dr. Pablo Martinez, professor at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, event organizer, Sister Damien Marie Savino, professor of environmental studies and science at St. Thomas University in Texas, Mary Taylor of Pax in Terra and Ricardo Simmonds of Creatio.

The event presented different Catholic perspectives on the environment. Dr. Martinez shared his work in forestry and development in the context of his Catholic faith, Sister Savino shared her experience on the Camino de Santiago and spirituality, Mary Taylor presented the “7 c’s” concept of a Catholic environmental outlook, and Ricardo Simmonds spoke of reconciliation as a theological approach to Catholic environmentalism. The event was well attended and reflected the pluralism and diversity of the Church. The questions at the end and discussion that followed involved an audience from countries as varied as Angola, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Ecuador and others.