Pope Leo XIV to lead Mass for the Care of Creation

Pope Leo XIV will preside over a special Mass for the Care of Creation on September 1 at the Papal Gardens in Borgo Laudato si’, Castel Gandolfo. The event marks the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and inaugurates the “Season of Creation,” an ecumenical period of prayer and action that runs until October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

The liturgy will utilize a specific “Mass for the Protection of Creation” form developed through the collaboration of several Vatican Dicasteries. Organizers, including the Dicastery for Integral Human Development and the Laudato si’ Higher Education Center, emphasize that caring for the environment is inseparable from caring for human dignity, particularly for the most vulnerable populations affected by climate change, poverty, and conflict.

In Italy, local dioceses such as Savona-Noli are also participating in the global observance through various regional initiatives, including prayer services and ecological walks, to mark the start of the seasonal period.