Leo XIV: for Christians, defending the environment is also a question of faith
The pontiff’s message for the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation has been released. For the past 10 years, the Church has celebrated this observance on 1 September. “[D]eforestation, pollution and the loss of biodiversity” are sins whose consequences are paid mostly by the poor. A new formulary for a Mass specifically dedicated to prayer for the care of creation will be added to the Roman Missal.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Leo XIV issued his message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which the Church has celebrated on 1 September since the publication of the encyclical Laudato Sì 10 years ago.
In it, the pontiff notices that “In a world where the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters are the first to suffer the devastating effects of climate change, deforestation and pollution, care for creation becomes an expression of our faith and humanity.”
He goes on to explain that “It is an urgent need that involves much more than simply protecting the environment. For it is a matter of justice – social, economic and human. For believers it is also a duty born of faith, since the universe reflects the face of Jesus Christ, in whom all things were created and redeemed.”
Pope Francis picked the Jubilee theme “Seeds of Peace and Hope” for this event, which Leo XIV confirmed, underlining in turn the urgency of this task.
The American pontiff cites a biblical passage from the prophet Isaiah in which it is said that the Spirit of God is able to transform even the arid and parched desert into a garden, a place of rest and serenity: “Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field” (Is 32:15-18).
This “message is extraordinarily timely, given the evidence in various parts of the world that our earth is being ravaged. On all sides, injustice, violations of international law and the rights of peoples, grave inequalities and the greed that fuels them are spawning deforestation, pollution and the loss of biodiversity. Extreme natural phenomena caused by climate changes provoked by human activity are growing in intensity and frequency, to say nothing of the medium and long-term effects of the human and ecological devastation being wrought by armed conflicts.”
“As yet, we seem incapable of recognizing that the destruction of nature does not affect everyone in the same way. When justice and peace are trampled underfoot, those who are most hurt are the poor, the marginalized and the excluded. The suffering of indigenous communities is emblematic in this regard.”
“Nature itself is reduced at times to a bargaining chip, a commodity to be bartered for economic or political gain. As a result, God’s creation turns into a battleground for the control of vital resources. We see this in agricultural areas and forests peppered with landmines, ‘scorched earth’ policies, conflicts over water sources, and the unequal distribution of raw materials, which penalizes the poorer nations and undermines social stability itself.”
“These various wounds are the effect of sin. This is surely not what God had in mind when he entrusted the earth to the men and women whom he created in his image,” so that this gift can be “tilled and kept”.
Today looking upon creation based on faith means “to follow words with deeds. ‘Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience’. By working with love and perseverance, we can sow many seeds of justice and thus contribute to the growth of peace and the renewal of hope.”
To this end, Leo cites the great legacy left by Pope Francis, such as the Borgo Laudato Si’ project at the Castel Gandolfo papal residence, which aims to be an example of how one can live, work and build a community by applying the principles of the encyclical on the care of creation as a “common home”.
More help will come from a liturgical instrument, a new formulary of a Eucharistic celebration specifically dedicated to the intention of the care of creation, which will be added to the Masses for various needs already proposed in the Roman Missal.
The new text, which could be in use on 1 September but also for other initiatives to raise awareness regarding the ecclesial dimension of care for the environment, will be presented tomorrow by Card Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, at a press conference in the Vatican.
.png)
