The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation is an annual Christian observance held on September 1st. It unites believers in thanking God for the environment and praying for environmental protection. It also marks the start of the month-long Season of Creation, which ends on October 4th.
History and Origins
- Orthodox Beginnings: The practice began in 1989 when Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I set aside September 1st for the Eastern Orthodox Church to pray for the environment.
- Catholic Adoption: Pope Francis officially established the day for the Roman Catholic Church in 2015, inspired by his environmental encyclical Laudato Si’.
- Ecumenical Reach: Today, global bodies like the World Council of Churches and multiple Protestant and Anglican communities join the observance.
Core Purposes
- Gratitude: Giving thanks to God as the creator of the universe.
- Atonement: Reflecting on human impacts and seeking forgiveness for ecological damage.
- Action: Committing to sustainable lifestyles and advocacy for environmental justice.
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Is 2:4)
The Holy Father’s Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, celebrated on 1 September, highlights the connection between armed conflict and environmental degradation. Such degradation constitutes both a serious violation of our duty to care for creation, as well as a long-term threat to the lives of hundreds of millions of people. The now widespread awareness of the impact of war on natural resources has not led to the creation of adequate institutions or to responsible decisions aimed at preventing conflicts and resolving disputes peacefully. The title — a passage in which Isaiah prophesies the transformation of weapons into agricultural tools — is an explicit invitation to prioritize development and sustainability over violence and destruction.