On Sunday, May 13, Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald, M. Afr., apostolic nuncio in Egypt and the Vatican’s delegate to the League of Arab States, received the Pax Christi award from Saint John’s Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota. The award was given at the commencement ceremony of the University, which is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1857.

British-born Archbishop Fitzgerald, widely considered the best informed and most capable scholar working on Christian-Islamic relations in the senior leadership of the Catholic Church today, is currently apostolic nuncio to the Arab Republic of Egypt and delegate to the organization of the League of Arab States for the Vatican. Prior to these appointments, he was secretary and later president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue from 1986-2006. In these positions, he made significant strides in promoting good relationships between the Roman Catholic Church and the world’s other religions, particularly Islam.

As the highest honor awarded by Saint John’s, the Pax Christi Award honors those whose lives exemplify Benedictine ideals, acknowledging them as spiritual heirs of Saint Benedict. The award has been presented to fifty-two individuals. Past recipients include Cardinal Leo Jozef Suenens; the Rev. John Courtney Murray, SJ, Archbishop Jean Jadot, the Rev. Andrew J. Young, Senator Eugene McCarthy, His Beatitude Ignatius IV Hazim, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, and Abbot Primate Notker Wolf, OSB.