Pastor Mark Burns, Spiritual Diplomats leader, and ALLATRA President Maryna Ovtsynova Join Vatican World Changers Summit
Pastor Mark Burns, spiritual advisor to the U.S. President Donald Trump; Maryna Ovtsynova, president of the ALLATRA International Public Movement; and Prof. Gabriele Pao-Pei Andreoli, president of the Institute for Advanced Studies and Cooperation and liaison representative to the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Theology, during the World Changers Summit 2025 in Vatican
VATICAN CITY — Pastor Mark Burns, spiritual advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump and founder of the Spiritual Diplomacy global initiative, together with Maryna Ovtsynova, President of the ALLATRA International Public Movement, participated in the World Changers Summit at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Vatican City, October 21–22.
Held under the auspices of the Institute for Advanced Studies and Cooperation (IASC), the World Changers Summit is led by Prof. Gabriele Pao-Pei Andreoli, President of the IASC. The 2025 edition, titled “Transcendence: Unveiling the Future of Humanity,” brought together leading voices from around the world to explore the frontiers of human progress.
Recognized internationally for its interdisciplinary and humanistic vision, the Summit convened scientists, entrepreneurs, academics, and institutional leaders to address major global challenges. This year’s program covered a wide range of fields, including quantum computing, regenerative medicine, ethics, spirituality, and artificial intelligence.
On October 21, at the Princess’s Halls of Palazzo Brancaccio, the Summit opened with the premiere of a book by Prof. Gabriele Pao-Pei Andreoli titled Transcendence. Between Science and Consciousness: Artificial Intelligence in the Age of Quantum Transformation. Distinguished speakers included H.E. Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, and Sister Miryam Castelli, creator and host of the long-running RAI program Cristianità.
Pastor Mark Burns, spiritual advisor to the U.S. President Donald Trump; Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life; Maryna Ovtsynova, president of the ALLATRA International Public Movement, Aisha Hina Malik, Founder & CEO Aim Aro Logistics
On October 22, the Summit continued with a scientific session held at the Casina Pio IV, headquarters of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which explored the dialogue between faith and innovation.
The first speech of the opening panel was delivered by Pastor Mark Burns. His message, voiced in the symbolic halls of the Vatican and grounded in the principles of Spiritual Diplomacy, urged everyone present at the Summit to become a Spiritual Diplomat within their own sphere of influence:
“Policies divide us, and we unite in an interfaith linkage of peace, unity, and prosperity. In every generation, there comes a moment where faith must rise above fear, when bridges must be built in places of borders, and the voices of truth must step into spaces where silence has allowed hatred to grow. Let's all rise together and become spiritual diplomats no matter what your faith is.”
Pastor emphasized that this calling is especially vital for those who have the opportunity and responsibility to drive technology forward:
"We need to have more good people in technology. In the hands of good moral people, we get to build new hospitals, we get to feed more people. We get to make life easier for the powerless. We can ensure that everybody in the world has an equal chance.”
Pastor Mark Burns speaks at the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Vatican City during the World Changers Summit 2025
At the Vatican, Maryna Ovtsynova, representing the ALLATRA International Public Movement, was deeply honored to be received with exceptional warmth by His Eminence Cardinal Peter Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, and Prefect Emeritus of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
In a long and substantive conversation, Maryna Ovtsynova together with ALLATRA volunteers discussed with His Eminence Cardinal Peter Turkson the questions of ecological responsibility, the growing threat posed by nanoplastics, and the urgent need for unity between science, faith, and civil society to safeguard life on Earth.
Maryna Ovtsynova, president of the ALLATRA International Public Movement, and Cardinal Peter Turkson, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
Ms. Maryna Ovtsynova, representing the ALLATRA International Public Movement, noted that the experience had been deeply enriching and opened new avenues for collaboration:
“The Vatican plays a vital role in shaping the ethical foundations that will guide humanity’s future, serving as a moral compass in a rapidly changing world facing multiple crises.
The message of Laudato Si’—a call to care for our common home and protect the most vulnerable—is one that the ALLATRA International Public Movement fully shares and supports. This mission resonates deeply with our goals of uniting people of science and conscience to address global challenges such as environmental degradation, including the growing problem of nanoplastics, the protection of human rights, especially in vulnerable communities, and the promotion of profound responsibility for all life on Earth.”
Professor Gabriele Pao-Pei Andreoli, holder of the World Changers Summit, president of the Institute for Advanced Studies and Cooperation (IASC), and liaison representative to the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Theology, said he was deeply impressed by the global initiative of the Spiritual Diplomats led by Pastor Burns. He also expressed deep appreciation for the scientific activities and research efforts supported by the ALLATRA International Public Movement. In an interview to ALLATRA TV, he stated:
“Thanks to Pastor Burns, it was truly incredible to find such meaningful collaboration with you along this path. I truly believe that bringing together ethics, technology, science, and research, and doing so in such a sacred place as the Vatican, creates something extraordinary. It’s as if one plus one doesn’t just make two, but eleven. When art, music, science, theology, and ethics come together, they amplify one another, generating incredible energy and power.”
Maryna Ovtsynova, president of the ALLATRA International Public Movement, and Prof. Gabriele Pao-Pei Andreoli, president of the Institute for Advanced Studies and Cooperation and liaison representative to the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Theology
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences, host of the World Changers Summit, has previously welcomed luminaries including Stephen Hawking, Ban Ki-moon, Paul Crutzen, Mario Molina, Joseph Stiglitz, and Pope Francis, all speaking on global challenges.
This year’s World Changers Summit continued that legacy, reaffirming that meaningful progress and the ability of society to cope with crises depend on the moral compass and ethical awakening of humanity itself. It is precisely this mission that guides the Spiritual Diplomacy initiative, led by Pastor Mark Burns, which strives to restore dignity where hope has been lost and to give voice to those who have been unheard.
Likewise, the ALLATRA International Public Movement advances this global effort by raising vital issues of ecology, human rights, and ethical responsibility to a level where they can no longer be ignored but must be addressed through collective action and constructive dialogue.
About the ALLATRA International Public Movement
The ALLATRA International Public Movement is an independent, volunteer-based organization dedicated to conducting large-scale research in geodynamics and environmental issues. ALLATRA IPM is recognized for its interdisciplinary approach to studying natural disasters, promoting international scientific cooperation, and advancing human rights and fundamental freedoms.
In recognition of its commitment to environmental protection and the preservation of creation, the ALLATRA International Public Movement was granted an Apostolic Blessing by His Holiness Pope Francis in 2024. In 2025, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV likewise bestowed an Apostolic Blessing upon the President of ALLATRA and all its volunteers.
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