Pope Leo XIV presided over Mass today in Castel Gandolfo on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. In his message, shared on social media platform X, the pontiff called for the conversion of the human heart so that the resources and instruments used in scenarios of destruction are directed towards the preservation of life. "I invite everyone to join in prayer and action, so that we may become channels of living water of God's peace, reviving our wounded world," he exhorted.
The celebration took place near the statue of the Virgin at the Borgo Laudato Si', in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, starting at 6:30 PM. The liturgy used a specific form created jointly by four Vatican dicasteries, which had been used for the first time by Leo XIV in July 2025. The theme chosen for this year was "Living Water."
The Pope reiterated that protecting our common home requires a paradigm shift capable of halting the current war-like logic. The "Season of Creation," which unites Christians from various denominations in prayer and climate action initiatives, runs until October 4, the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi.
At the opening of this cycle, the Patriarch of Constantinople of the Orthodox Church, Bartholomew I, called for a revolution in the idea of progress to halt the environmental "geocide" caused by consumerism.
