Message of the Holy Father for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2025
“Seeds of Peace and Hope” is the theme chosen by Pope Francis for World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2025. On the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Day, which coincided with the publication of the Encyclical Laudato Si’ and in the Jubilee year, “Pilgrims of Hope,” the theme acquires a stronger and deeper meaning.
With the image of the seed, repeatedly cited in Jesus' preaching, Pope Leo XIV expresses the comparison of the grain of wheat, which must die in order to bear fruit (cf. Jn 12:24). Seeds are buried in the earth, and there, to our wonder, life springs up, even in the most unexpected places, pointing to the promise of new beginnings. So, in Christ we are “seeds of Peace and Hope.” The prophetic words of Isaiah, «a spirit from on high will be poured out on us», which will accompany the ecumenical initiative of the “Season of Creation” from September 1 to October 4, reiterate the need for concrete actions capable of transforming the arid and parched desert into a garden, a place of rest and serenity.
Environmental justice – implicitly proclaimed by the prophets – can no longer be regarded as an abstract concept or a distant goal. It is an urgent need that involves much more than simply protecting the environment. For it is a matter of justice – social, economic and human. For believers it is also a duty born of faith, since the universe reflects the face of Jesus Christ, in whom all things were created and redeemed. In a world where the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters are the first to suffer the devastating effects of climate change, deforestation and pollution, care for creation becomes an expression of our faith and humanity.
Among the Church’s initiatives that are like seeds sown in this field, I would mention the “Borgo Laudato Si’” project that Pope Francis bequeathed to us at Castel Gandolfo, a seed that promises to bear fruits of justice and peace. It is an educational project in integral ecology that can serve as an example of how people can live, work and build community by applying the principles of the Encyclical Laudato Si’.
The message of Pope Leo XIV invites people to seize the unique opportunity to till and keep the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). So, work, care, protect and preserve the soil, based on mutual respect between human beings and nature.
Read the full text of the message here.