Pope Francis on Monday announced an annual "World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation" to draw attention the “ecological crisis” facing the planet and encourage Catholics to adopt “appropriate lifestyles”.
The day, to be marked on 1 September, is Francis’ latest move to highlight environmental concerns ahead of a key UN summit on global climate change in Paris in December.
Monday’s announcement, issued two months after the Vatican published Laudato si’, Francis’ encyclical document on the need to care for creation, was made in a letter to the heads of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Cardinal Peter Turkson, and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Cardinal Kurt Koch.
"As Christians we wish to contribute to resolving the ecological crisis which humanity is presently experiencing," Francis wrote.
The date, 1 September, is when Orthodox Christians mark their day for the protection of the environment, and therefore “will be a valuable opportunity to bear witness to our growing communion with our Orthodox brothers”, Francis wrote.
In Laudato si’ Francis quoted the writings of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who was represented at the Vatican launch by Metropolitan John (Zizioulas) of Pergamon.
Since 2006, the Italian Catholic bishops have also marked 1 September as a day for the protection of creation.
Francis said the day, to be marked with “relevant initiatives” in every diocese around the world, would offer Catholics "a fitting opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation".
Francis said it would be an opportunity to “implore” God’s help for the protection of creation and his pardon “for the sins committed against the world in which we live”.
He said he hoped the annual celebration would encourage people to pray, reflect, and adopt “appropriate lifestyles”.
Above: Francis, who met with young Catholics at the Vatican on Saturday, wants to encourage people to make their lifestyles more ecologically sustainable. Photo: Reuters/CNS
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