Few months ago we have conveyed the invitation to the Assisi Ecumenical conference: a milestone on the long path towards actual care for God’s creation. Be it in person or through remote participation, ECEN was there alongside many others like the World Council of Churches. We have collected here some views about this main international conference.
“a novel opportunity to experience Christian unity”
The second ecumenical conference, held in Assisi from 5 to 7 May 2025, was the next step in the process of ensuring the celebration of Creation (1 September or the first Sunday in September), similar to that of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, would be incorporated into the liturgical calendar of the Western Churches. Accepting the inseparable link between creation and the workings of the Holy Trinity, and understanding the creation of heaven and earth as a mystery, provides a solid foundation for a shared celebration. This is particularly relevant in light of the mounting environmental challenges facing our world today and the ever-widening exposure to war that exacerbates them. Basing the celebration on a close reading of the text of the creed, the conference commemorates the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea: The Father, who is 'the creator of heaven and earth'; the Son, 'through whom all things were made'; and the Holy Spirit, who is 'our Lord and our life-giver'. Participants hope that the new feast will offer a novel opportunity to experience Christian unity that is inseparable from tradition yet sensitive to the pressing issues of the present.
The results of the 2025 conference included an expansion of the circle of cooperating churches and organisations, a deeper understanding of the theological issues related to the feast, and an opportunity for the theological and pastoral section meetings to create a more detailed liturgy for the feast. The proposal made in Assisi to include the Feast of Creation in the liturgical calendar provides an opportunity for all those inspired by the beauty and suffering of the world around us to express unity in diversity through admiration, gratitude and responsible action.
(Kinga Szűcs)
“the beginning of a journey to change hearts minds and lifestyles”
The conference in May 2025 was probably the final conference in this formative consultation process, which had been ongoing for some time. There was less time focus on whether there should be a 1st Sept international ecumenical day for God the Creator, more on what it would look like in the different places in the world and with different denominations.
We explored the resources available from art, liturgy, the Lectionary texts options and heard from experts in these fields. We celebrated the great diversity in the Christian church from Indigenous people in the Amazon, Mennonites, Pentecostal, Orthodox Catholics, World Evangelical Alliance, Quakers and so many more. There were important contributions from church theologians, leaders and liturgists all supportive of the principle but ensuring that the details were inclusive and didn't leave anyone behind.
I chaired the session for the European Christian Churches where at that stage there was some uncertainty about who would be the next Pope and there was also concern about the political and societal changes across the continent.
Although there was agreement that we should 'get on with' celebrating this day and the Season of Creation. There was recognition that we are doing this in an increasingly difficult economic situation where war and immigration are eclipsing many government debates about reducing carbon emissions. There are other priorities, like the debate of the future of AI, (not unrelated to carbon emissions) which are grabbing the attention of some synods and church budgets.
There is a danger that the success of a September 1st Feast Day for Creation whatever it might be called, would been seen by some at the end of the journey.
The reality is, it is only the beginning of a journey to change hearts minds and lifestyles, which we thought were heading in the right direction. There was an agreement that the adoption of a Feast Day must serve as a platform for greater prayer and action.
(Stephen Taylor)
"Feast of Creation - a key for worldwide ecumenical unity?"
A hundred years ago, in 1925, the Archbishop of Uppsala, Nathan Söderblom, invited church leaders to a meeting in Sweden called The Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work. In that time, meetings between different churches and denominations were not as common as today. The focus for this meeting, in times after a world war, was on peace.
In our time there are similarities. One of them is the way we live in relation to the Creation; How humanity as such is waging a war against the foundation for life on Earth as we know it.
When we met in Assisi from different churches and faith communities from many different Christian traditions and from most part of the worldv it was clear how climate change and other environmental issues is present in the every day life of the people. But also the importance to include this in the liturgical life of the faith communities.
After ECEN has been a fore runner by promoting Creation Time/ Season of Creation for decades we see this being spread around the world and taken up as an important part of the prayers during Season of Creation.
Next step to manifest the importance of celebrating the Creator and the Creation is to make it a part of the litrugical calendar. This has not happened during the last approximatley 500 years. And if this could be done 1700 years after the Nicea meeting, it would be a significant milestone in the ecumenical history.
The meeting in May in Assisi showed a great unity in the aims to mark the importance of a manifested day to celebrate the Creator and the Creation. But the differences in structures and liturgical traditions makes it harder to decide a common day for this celebration. Being in Assisi as WCC representative I could agree on having a Feast of Creation day but WCC can not decide for the member churches to adopt a Feast of Creation. But we can promote it. And I think that should not be underestimated.
One church that is important in this is the Roman Catholic Church. In its structures lays that if this is decided from Rome it will be applied all over the Roman Catholic Church. This could be just an internal matter for the Catholics but the Laudato Si Movement has from its start reached out ecumenically to take part. And to me that is a sign of hopeful ecumenism. When we met in Assisi it was in the days when the cardinals was gathering to elect the new pope. The day when I was traveling back home the new pope was presented and it turned out to be a pope very willing to proceed the work of pope Francis.
This makes me hopeful that the ecumenical world will show unity in protecting the Creation and act for Climate Justice. A ray of light in times when we see so much going backwards. 1700 years after Nicea, 100 years after Stockholm and 10 years after Laudato Si and the Paris Agreement.
(Henrik Grape)
"Christian leaders unite in Assisi to establich historic Feast of Creation"
(extracts from the WCC article published on oikoumene.org )
In a landmark gathering addressing the spiritual dimensions of the ecological crisis, Christian leaders from Eastern and Western traditions convened in Assisi, Italy, to develop a shared liturgical Feast of Creation.
The three-day conference from 5-7 May marks a significant step toward establishing what Bishop Prof. Dr Heinrich Bedford-Strohm described as "a wonderful expression of the trinitarian essence that unites us as churches" and a powerful spiritual response to the urgent climate challenges facing our planet.
The conference brought together representatives from 16 world communions including the Anglican Communion, Baptist World Alliance, Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran World Federation, and Eastern Orthodox churches. The discussions will focus on the theological foundations of the feast, lectionary readings, liturgical prayers, and the date, with 1 September being traditionally observed as Creation Day in Eastern Orthodox traditions.
The conference participants agreed to continue regional dialogues to prepare for implementing the feast in their respective church traditions. Four out of five continental Catholic bishops' conferences have already endorsed the initiative, with many other global church families expressing their support.