September 1 marks the observance of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, a day established by Pope Francis in 2015 following the publication of his landmark encyclical Laudato si’. The occasion also signals the start of the annual Season of Creation, an ecumenical period of prayer and action for the environment that runs through October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
To commemorate the start of the month-long season, Pope Leo XIV celebrated an evening Mass in the Madonnina Garden of the Borgo Laudato si’, located within the Papal Gardens of Castel Gandolfo. For the 2026 observance, the Holy Father selected a biblical motto inspired by Isaiah 2:4: “With their swords they will beat plowshares and with their spears they will make pruning hooks.”
In his official message for the day, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that ongoing global conflicts and ecological destruction stem from a common root cause. He described current environmental disruptions and humanitarian crises as part of “a single appeal for healing and peace that springs from a wounded world.” The Pope noted that war not only claims human lives but also leaves behind long-lasting social and environmental degradation, reflecting a failure to live according to God’s image and care for the Earth.
Highlighting that true peace flows from the enduring love of Christ rather than superficial agreements, the Pontiff called on individuals to undergo a deep personal conversion. He stated that the call to transform weapons into tools of life is an invitation to every person, warning that without genuine inner transformation, any peace achieved will remain fragile and short-lived.