The Pope Leo XIV celebrated the first “Mass for the Care of Creation”

“God has given us creation as a gift to be cherished, not as prey to be consumed.” Using simple and direct words, Pope Leo XIV celebrated the first Mass “for the care of creation” on 9 July at Borgo Laudato Si’ (“Laudato si’ Village”) in Castel Gandolfo using the new liturgical formulary promulgated a few days ago by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

In his homily, delivered to a small group of Borgo Laudato Si’ ecology project staff, the Pope emphasised the responsibility of Christians to care for our common home. “When we look at the beauty of creation, we realise that God created us not out of necessity, but out of love.

Creation stems from His overflowing goodness, with all living creature reflecting His glory. Our irresponsible actions of today, however, have wounded that glory. As Saint Paul says, the whole of creation has been groaning in pain, and the poor are suffering alongside it. The cries of creation and the cries of the poor cannot be ignored, for they are one cry rising up to God.”

The new formulary, “For the Care of Creation”

This new formulary, approved by Pope Leo XIV and promulgated by the Dicastery for Divine Worship, is added to the ‘Missae pro variis necessitatibus vel ad diversa’ of the Roman Missal. It incorporates specific prayers and biblical readings that celebrate the care of creation, highlighting that “Sacred Scripture exhorts humankind to contemplate the mystery of creation and to give endless thanks to the Holy Trinity.” The Decree emphasises the role of the Eucharist in inspiring believers “to become stewards of all creation.” The text has been published in Latin as the standard text for the universal Church.

Ecological conversion: a dimension of Christian faith

During his homily Leo XIV recalled the Gospel account of Jesus calming the storm, proclaimed in the liturgy: “Jesus calms the storm with His Word. He does not destroy; he recreates. He does not crush; he lifts up. And even today, as the climate storm grows stronger, we need not fear to cry out to Him, for His power is a power of love; it is love that saves Creation.”

For the Pope, ecological conversion “is not an option for Christians. It is a dimension of our faith. If we believe in God the Creator, we must love His creation. If we believe in Christ, we must recognise that all creatures find fulfilment in Him. If we live in the Spirit, we must walk in harmony with every living being.”

The Pope added, quoting St. Augustine: ‘O Lord, your works praise you so that we may love you, and we love you so that your works may praise you.’ He explained: “Caring for Creation is an act of praise to God. Loving the Earth is loving its Creator. Respecting every creature means recognising that our life is about service, not lordship.”

“It’s not too late, but we must act now.”

The Holy Father ended his homily with a strong message of hope, emphasising the importance of personal and community responsibility. “It’s not too late to alter the course,” he said, “but we must act without further delay. We must not do so out of fear of a bleaker future, but out of love for God and for our brothers and sisters.”

The earth, as St. Francis tells us, is our mother and our sister.

Those who love their home do not destroy it; those who love their mother do not mistreat her; and those who love their sister do not humiliate her.” The Pope concluded with a prayer. “Let us pray to the Lord that this Mass for the Care of Creation may help us see the earth through His eyes, experience it with the heart of Christ, and respect it with the fortitude of the Holy Spirit. In this manner, our love will be transformed into praise, and through us, Creation will extol the glory of its Creator.”

Riccardo Benotti – SIR