Pope Leo XIV dedicated the prayer intention for the month of September to the care of water, calling for the protection of this natural resource and the guarantee of universal access to drinking water. In the message "Pray with the Pope," the pontiff presents water as a source of life, fertility and hope, recalls its profound significance for Christians, particularly through Baptism, and invites the faithful to assume an attitude of gratitude, justice and responsibility towards this essential resource.
Leo XIV warned of the inequalities that persist in access to water in various regions of the world, referring particularly to populations who continue without drinking water and to people forced to travel long distances to obtain it, often being exposed to diseases and precarious living conditions.
In his prayer intention, the Pope also called for changes in lifestyles, through greater sobriety, combating waste and contamination and defending the right of all to safe access to water. He also defended that new generations be educated for the protection of natural resources and that care for water translate into a concrete commitment with the poorest and most vulnerable.
The prayer intention was released at the beginning of September, a month that begins with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and is part of the so-called Season of Creation, a period during which Christian communities are invited to renew their commitment to the protection of the "common home."
