Catholic leaders, youth advocates, scholars, and civil society actors from across continents convened in Manhattan on Sunday for the New York Catholic Social Forum, calling on the Church and its partners to take a more active role in addressing global inequality, environmental destruction, and political dysfunction.
Held at Manhattan University, the forum marked key anniversaries: the tenth year of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’s landmark encyclical on the environment; the 80th anniversary of the United Nations; and the pope’s historic 2015 address to the UN General Assembly. It also coincided with the UN’s ongoing High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Organized by IMCS Pax Romana and its partners, including the International Youth Training Centre (IYTC), ICMICA Pax Romana, International Young Catholic Students, and the Dorothy Day Center at Manhattan University, the gathering tackled the theme: “UN Sustainable Development Goals, Catholic Social Teaching, and Global Governance.”
The event opened with a prayer by Titi Ghale, followed by welcoming remarks from Manhattan University’s Dr. Kevin Ahern, who affirmed the university’s “long-standing commitment to Catholic social movements and its mission to educate for justice and peace.”
Setting the tone for the day, Anselmo Lee of the IYTC Steering Committee said the forum was “not just an anniversary but a moment of accountability.” Recalling the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and Pope Francis’s call to care for creation, Lee emphasized the need to confront deepening crises.
He urged participants “to analyse the gaps and failures of the current governance system and, inspired by Catholic social teaching and Pope Francis’s vision, propose concrete, prophetic actions.”
IMCS Pax Romana President William Nokrek described the forum as “timely and meaningful,” and said it was a moment “to renew our shared mission to promote justice, peace, and care for our common home, inspired by the spirit of the Jubilee Year.”
In the first panel, speakers examined systemic barriers to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the exclusion of civil society and the dominance of corporate interests in UN spaces.
Dr. Pamela Chasek of the International Institute for Environment and Development warned of “the increasing corporate influence over UN negotiations and the worrying exclusion of grassroots voices.”
Barbara Adams of the Global Reflection Group urged a broader vision for sustainability that addresses inequality, saying current structures are “failing to address systemic inequalities.”
Youth advocate Dr. Sameh Kamel of the Major Group for Children and Youth lamented “the lack of progress on most SDG targets” and called for deeper faith-based engagement at local and global levels.
The second session focused on Catholic responses to these challenges. Lee called on Church-linked civil society organizations (CSOs) to form alliances beyond Catholic circles to amplify their prophetic voice.
Mariko Komatsu of Hiroshima Diocese highlighted the moral urgency of nuclear disarmament, saying Hiroshima’s experience is “a living reminder of why peace is essential to development.”
Suman Ghale of IMCS Asia Pacific presented ongoing Catholic-led campaigns that connect community organizing with the UN development agenda.
Closing the forum, Roshan Lobo, Secretary General of the International Young Catholic Students, said the day’s conversations should translate into action across Catholic networks.
Speakers issued several concrete recommendations, including SDG audits at the parish and diocesan level, greater inclusion of Global South voices in global forums, fossil fuel divestment in favor of sustainable investments, and stronger partnerships between Church institutions and grassroots movements.
Dr. Ahern captured the urgency of the moment: “In a world facing deepening inequalities and environmental crises, Catholic social teaching offers both moral clarity and practical pathways forward.”
Organizers committed to publishing a New York Social Agenda for Action summarizing the forum’s findings and confirmed upcoming gatherings—including the World Summit for Social Development in Doha this November and the 2027 SDG Summit and World Youth Day in Seoul.
“We look forward to seeing you again in Doha for the next gathering of hope and action,” Nokrek said in closing.
