Rome (Italy). From 1 September, Day of Prayer for Creation, to 4 October 2025, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology, the Season of Creation is celebrated. It is an ecumenical time of prayer, conversion, and action for the common home, now on the 10th anniversary of its institution, which took place in conjunction with the publication of the Encyclical Laudato si’.
“Peace with Creation” is this year’s theme, inspired by the biblical passage from Isaiah 32:14-18: “Until the spirit from on high is poured out on us. And the wilderness becomes a garden land and the garden land seems as common as forest. Then judgment will dwell in the wilderness and justice abide in the garden land. The work of justice will be peace; the effect of justice, calm and security forever.”
The symbol features a dove carrying an olive branch that brings the Garden of Peace to life. In the biblical account of the flood, the dove plays the role of blessed messenger. It is sent by Noah and returns to the ark with a fresh olive branch in its beak, signaling that the flood is receding. Because the flood narrative begins with a situation where “the world is full of violence” (Genesis 6:13), the return of the dove with the olive branch became a sign of new peace.
In the Message for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Leo XIV introduces the theme of Seeds of Peace and Hope, chosen by Pope Francis who, in the context of the Jubilee, “Pilgrims of Hope,” acquires its full meaning. “In Christ we are seeds. Not only that, but ‘seeds of Peace and Hope’.” The Pope therefore urges us to “follow words with deeds. (…) By working with dedication and tenderness you can sprout many seeds of justice, thus contributing to peace and hope.”
Among the initiatives of the Church, “which are like seeds sown in this field,” in his Message Pope Leo also recalls the project “Borgo Laudato Si’”, bequeathed to Castel Gandolfo by Pope Francis. It will be inaugurated on 5 September 2025. “It is an integral ecology education project that aims to be an example of how one can live, work, and build community by applying the principles of the Encyclical Laudato si’” (Press Release).
At the European level, the Presidents of the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe (CCEE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) have signed a joint declaration for the Time of Creation in which they call on all believers to contribute to the protection of the common home and to promote a just and sustainable future. In the text, they recall the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which is celebrated this year:
“As we proclaim our faith in God the creator, we also pray for our brothers and sisters who are victims of various forms of environmental and human injustice. Nowadays, our world can hardly be considered a garden of peace. On the contrary, human destruction and death caused by wars and social unrest in different Countries and peoples influence our daily experiences. However, like the prophet Isaiah, we firmly believe that we are called to seek peace with creation and that each of us is called to honor the distinctive traits of ‘the giver of life’.”
The joint statement links this call from all Churches to safeguard creation with the upcoming COP30 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil (10-21 November 2025). The Presidents express the hope that leaders will place the needs of the poor and vulnerable at the center of climate action and see the climate crisis as an opportunity to reconfigure international relations towards the common good.
The Laudato Sì Movement on the nel official website, shares simple but effective ways to celebrate the time of creation while also offering resources – such as the Guide for the Celebration of the Time of Creation – activities and calls to action to inspire and mobilize communities throughout the period:
- Celebrate the Day of Creation, September 1st or the first Sunday (September 7). Parishes and communities are encouraged to use the new Mass form for the Care of Creation available in various languages.
- Pray the Via Creationis, inspired by the Stations of the Cross, to celebrate and contemplate Creation, possibly outdoors.
- Engage according to the theme of the year, A garden of peace by organizing a reflection group, or simply creating a tranquil green space for your community.
- Work with young people and the Educating Communities by organizing clean-ups, planting trees, creating a domestic vegetable garden, or organizing an educational event or pilgrimage around the theme of safeguarding creation.
- Reflect and promote the message of Pope Leo XIV for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
With a view to the commitment assumed in General Chapter XXIV with the Chapter Deliberation on Integral Ecology, for the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians the Time of Creation is an opportunity to reflect and act in the communities with young people together with the Educating Communities on the responsibility of taking care of the common Home.
On the occasion of the Youth Jubilee, the Rector Major of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Fr. Fabio Attard and Mother Chiara Cazzuola launched an appeal to make gestures of peace and spread them through social media and digital screens. This is an appeal to sow peace and reconciliation aimed at young people from every corner of the world, which came to life in a video launched through all the digital channels of the Salesian Family and published on the Sym Jubilee website, where they asked them to become builders of an unarmed, reconciled, and hopeful future.
