Pope Leo XIV will celebrate a special Mass for the Care of Creation on September 1st in the Laudato Si’ Garden, located within the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo. The event was announced in a joint statement released by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Laudato Si’ Centre for Higher Education.
This Eucharistic celebration marks the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and signals the start of the Season of Creation. This ecumenical period of prayer and stewardship invites Christian communities worldwide to renew their commitment to safeguarding the planet. The season will run through October 4th, concluding on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, which this year coincides with the 800th anniversary of the saint’s passing. The new liturgical text for the Mass was developed collaboratively by several Vatican dicasteries, including those for Integral Human Development, Divine Worship, the Doctrine of the Faith, and Christian Unity.
Reflecting on the location and significance of the service, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, noted that celebrating the Eucharist surrounded by nature serves as a reminder that creation is a divine gift carrying an inherent responsibility. He emphasized that faith calls believers to view the world not merely as a resource for consumption, but as a gift to be treated with gratitude and love, adding that caring for creation inherently means caring for human life, future generations, and the most vulnerable.
Echoing these sentiments, Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Director General of the Laudato Si’ Centre for Higher Education, stressed that environmental custody and human dignity are inseparable aspects of the Church’s core mission. He highlighted that safeguarding the environment is a direct expression of neighborly love, particularly toward those suffering from climate degradation, poverty, and conflict, reiterating that love for God is inseparable from caring for His creation.