On June 27, the Press Office of the Holy See published the Message of Pope Francis for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation 2024 with the theme: "Hope and Act with Creation".  

Every year on September 1, we celebrate the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, a special time to reflect on our role as stewards of the natural world.

This year, the theme "Hope and Act with Creation" invites us to renew our hope and commitment to protecting the environment, drawing inspiration from St Paul's Letter to the Romans (8:19-25). The Apostle reminds us that living according to the Spirit means embracing a certain hope, rooted in faith in Christ, which impels us to concrete and loving action.

The Pope's message begins with a question that invites us to reflect: "Let us begin, then, with a simple question, but one that may not have an obvious answer: If we are truly believers, how did we come to have faith? As St Paul teaches us, we are believers because the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and enables us to live with creativity and charity. This Spirit frees us from fear, makes us children of God and gives us the strength to face the challenges of life with love and hope.

The Day of Prayer invites us to translate our faith into concrete action for the good of creation. It is a call to deep conversion that leads us from the arrogance of domination to loving care for our common home. In a world marked by injustice and suffering, our Christian hope is not an illusion, but a real force that encourages us to work for a future of peace and harmony.

United in faith and action, we can make a difference. Caring for creation is not only an ethical responsibility, but a theological commitment that involves the whole of creation. Together we can witness to God's love through concrete gestures and help build a world where humanity and nature live in harmony.

Read the full message of Pope Francis

Read more about the presentation of the Message on the website of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development

Read more about the Season of Creation