Laudato Voices | Season of Creation in the Year of St. Francis of Assisi | 24 September, 2026
On September 1, Christians worldwide are invited to unite in prayer and action to protect creation. The Day also marks the beginning of the annual Season of Creation, which runs until 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi. This year Christians worldwide mark the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, a month-long season of prayer and action for the environment.
“The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all” (Laudato Si’, 23) and “Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a future for them without caring for the environment.
Pope Leo XIV
As the country continues to witness the suffering and destruction caused by the climate crisis, driven by extreme droughts, devastating floods, and catastrophic landslides that threaten lives, food security, and livelihoods, Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly highlighted that it is closely intertwined with natural resources, fuels conflict, displacement, and injustice; people of goodwill are invited to take part in this ecumenical initiative.
Day of Prayer for Creation
Promoted and supported by various organizations, including our Laudato Youth Initiative, the Day of Prayer for Creation goes back almost three decades. In Uganda, we celebrate it by uniting people of different faiths to dialogue about ways to unite and conserve the environment.
Pope Francis
In 2015, shortly after the publication of his encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis established the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Catholic Church, aligning it with the Orthodox observance on 1 September and formally embracing the Season of Creation.
Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV’s decree establishing the Missa pro custodia creationis, together with a new formulary for the Roman Missal, represents another step in the Catholic Church’s commitment to respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor, as it supports local Churches in their efforts to care for our common home and promote new paths to achieve integral human ecology.
