The Carmelites of Australia and Timor-Leste congratulate Fr Eduardo Agosta Scarel, O.Carm, on his appointment as a Corresponding Member of the Pontifical Academy for Life by Pope Leo XIV.
Fr Eduardo is Vice-President of the Carmelite NGO, Director of the Department of Integral Ecology at the Spanish Episcopal Conference, and an internationally respected researcher in climate variability and climate change. His appointment recognises not only his scientific expertise, but also his commitment to bringing faith, ethics, and care for human dignity into some of the most important conversations facing our world today.
Responding to the announcement, Fr Eduardo said:
“I accept this appointment with deep gratitude and a sense of responsibility, as a Carmelite friar. I accept this appointment as a call to serve through integral ecology and the Social Doctrine of the Church, bringing scientific rigor and ethical discernment to address the challenges affecting human life and our common home.”
His work reflects the vision expressed by Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ — that care for people and care for creation are inseparable. Through his research, teaching, and international advocacy, Fr Eduardo has helped build greater understanding of the relationship between climate change, social justice, and the wellbeing of vulnerable communities.
Looking ahead to his service with the Academy, Fr Eduardo said he hopes to encourage dialogue between science, theology, and public policy while contributing to initiatives that promote both sustainability and human dignity.
The Pontifical Academy for Life was established by St John Paul II in 1994 to study, promote, and defend human life and the dignity of the human person. Its members include leading experts from around the world in fields such as medicine, ethics, science, law, and theology.
For the Carmelite family, Fr Eduardo's appointment is a reminder that the contemplative tradition of Carmel continues to engage actively with the challenges of the modern world. Rooted in prayer and guided by the Gospel, Carmelites seek to bring wisdom, compassion, and hope wherever human life and dignity are at stake.
As St Titus Brandsma, Carmelite priest, journalist, and martyr, once wrote:
“Whoever wants to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come into conflict with it.”
In an age marked by environmental challenges, social inequality, and rapid technological change, Fr Eduardo's appointment is a sign of the Church's commitment to ensuring that scientific knowledge, ethical responsibility, and respect for human life walk forward together.
We congratulate Fr Eduardo and assure him of our prayers as he begins this important service to the Church and the wider human family.
Photos courtesy of Fr Eduardo and the Carmelite NGO | https://carmelitengo.org/
