HOW PONTIFF LEO CELEBRATES WORLD CREATION DAY (LABOR DAY). (2093 hits)
For Immediate Release From Vatican News!
Pope invites Christians to unite for Creation Day on September 1, 2025,
Pope Leo XIV renews his invitation for Christians to join together on September 1 to celebrate the World of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which draws inspiration from the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the theme: “Seeds of Peace and Hope.” By Vatican News
On September 1, Christians across the world unite to mark Creation Day, the annual celebration of the mystery of Creation.
Speaking at the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV recalled that Pope Francis extended the celebration to Catholics 10 years ago by instituting the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, saying prayer for Creation is “now more urgent and important than ever.”
“Together with all Christians, we celebrate it and extend it into the Season of Creation until October 4, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi,” he said. “In the spirit of the Canticle of Brother Sun, composed 800 years ago, let us praise God and renew our commitment not to spoil His gift, but to care for our common home.”
Long-Standing Tradition
Creation Day, also known as the World Day of Prayer for Creation, is celebrated by most Christian Churches following an invitation by the Orthodox Church in 1989.
Grounded in an ancient Orthodox liturgical tradition from the 5th century, it is a day to praise God as Creator, commemorate the mystery of Creation in Christ, and inspire Christians to care for the created world.
The World Council of Churches, the ecumenical body bringing together Orthodox and Protestant Churches, released a new video about the day’s history and symbolism.
While many Catholic Bishops’ Conferences have been celebrating Creation Day since the 1990s, Pope Francis instituted it as the World Day of Prayer for the universal Catholic Church in 2015.
The Jesuit Pope then encouraged annual Creation Day celebrations by publishing official annual messages for the day of prayer.
‘Seeds of Peace and Hope’
Pope Leo XIV continued the tradition of his predecessor this year, publishing a special message for Creation Day 2025.
“The theme of this World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, chosen by our beloved Pope Francis, is ‘Seeds of Peace and Hope,’” he said. “On the tenth anniversary of the establishment of this Day of Prayer, which coincided with the publication of the Encyclical Laudato si’, we find ourselves celebrating the present Jubilee as ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.”
The Augustinian Pope added that “for believers, environmental justice is also a duty born of faith, since the universe reflects the face of Jesus Christ, in whom all things were created and redeemed.”
Moreover, Pope Leo recently promulgated the new “Mass for the Care of Creation” formulary, with the Dicastery for Divine Worship explaining that it was offered “with a view to its possible use on the next World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.”
The innovation of a new Mass formulary enables Catholic communities to celebrate Creation Day in a liturgical format for the first time, beyond the traditional ecumenical prayer services.
The Creation Day initiative is coordinated globally by the World Council of Churches, chaired by its Moderator, Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, in collaboration with various Christian world communions and partners.
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Pope: ‘Arms must fall silent, voice of fraternity and justice must prevail’ Pope Leo XIV renews his closeness to the Ukrainian people, appealing for an immediate ceasefire, and prays for the victims of the Catholic school shooting in Minnesota and migrants killed off the coast of Mauritania. By Devin Watkins
As Russia intensifies its attacks on cities across Ukraine, Pope Leo XIV has reiterated his appeal for an immediate ceasefire and serious efforts on behalf of dialogue.
“The voice of weapons must fall silent, and the voice of fraternity and justice must prevail,” said the Pope.
Speaking at the Sunday Angelus, the Pope renewed his closeness to the Ukrainian people, lamenting the continual destruction and death the war has caused.
He urged everyone to avoid succumbing to indifference but instead to draw near in prayer and concrete actions of charity, reiterating his call for a ceasefire.
“It is time for those in power to abandon the logic of weapons and to take up the path of negotiation and peace, with the support of the international community,” he said.
Prayers for Victims of Minneapolis School Shooting
Switching to English, Pope Leo then prayed for the victims of the shooting at a Catholic school in the US city of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“We include in our prayers the countless children killed and injured every day around the world,” he said. “Let us plead with God to stop the pandemic of arms, large and small, which infects our world.”
The Pope turned to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, asking that she help humanity fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks.”
Death of Migrants Off Coast of Mauritania
Pope Leo XIV also recalled the death of at least 69 people—and the nearly 100 still missing—off the coast of Mauritania when a vessel carrying migrants capsized.
Seventeen people have been rescued so far, and survivors say the boat left The Gambia six days before the boat sank on Tuesday.
“This deadly tragedy is repeated every day around the world,” he said. “Let us pray that the Lord may teach us, as individuals and as a society, to fully put into practice His word: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’.”
In conclusion, the Pope prayed for everyone who has died. "We entrust all our injured, missing, and dead, everywhere, to our Saviour’s loving embrace."
Church In US iI Mourning Following Minneapolis Tragedy
The church in the United States expresses its grief and condolences following Wednesday's tragedy in Minneapolis, where a young man opened fire during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School. The attack resulted in the deaths of two children and around seventeen injured before the shooter took his own life. Vatican News
Messages of condolence, solidarity and prayer have poured in to the community in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the United States where a young man opened fire on Wednesday during Mass before the start of classes at Annunciation Catholic School. Two children died in the attack and seventeen others sustained injuries, according to initial reports, while the shooter took his own life.
Cardinal de Mendonça Offers Heartfelt Condolences
Upon hearing the terrible news, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, sent a telegram to Minneapolis Archbishop Bernard Hebda, expressing his “heartfelt condolences" over the deaths of the two children during the celebration of Mass. The message assured the community of "fervent prayers for the victims and their families" and "spiritual closeness to the entire community affected." Cardinal de Mendonça noted how this heartbreaking incident shows the need for Catholic education to renew its efforts in the face of today’s challenges "in order to continue building a culture of fraternity, founded on a peace that is both unarmed and disarming.”
Cardinal Cupich Prays For Victims, Urges Action
In a statement issued on Wednesay 27 August, Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, said "we join our prayers with others that those injured in body and spirit will heal and that the murdered children will be received into heaven, we must also cry out for action to prevent even one more such tragedy." Noting sadly that such shootings and violence have become commonplace, this incident "hits close to home" since it occurred at a Catholic school and the gunman shot through the windows of a church where the children and their teachers were at prayer to mark the start of the school year. He writes: "If any place should have been safe, it should have been there. If any time should have been safe, it should have been then. Tragically, we know no place or time when Americans – even children – are safe from the curse of gun violence."
Cardinal Cupich encouraged offering prayers for "those who hold the power to make the safety of our people a national priority," and for "God to give them the courage to take the steps they know will alleviate if not eliminate the fear parents must feel sending their children off to school...surely they must be moved by these shootings. We pray that they will not see them as inevitable because then we will have certainly surrendered our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Cardinal Tobin Prays For Comfort To The Grieving
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, urged the faithful to join him in prayer for all those affected by the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School, noting how "what should have been a joyful beginning to a new academic year was instead shattered by senseless violence." In a a message posted online, he said, "we hold close in prayer the children, families, teachers and parish community of Annunciation" and that "no child should ever face fear in a place of learning and worship, and no parent should endure the loss of a child to violence." In conclusion, we writes, "May Christ our Redeemer bring comfort to the grieving and peace to all who mourn."
Cardinal Dolan, Solidarity With The Victims
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, in a social media post, exprssed profound sadness over the attack, writing, "once again, we are shocked and horrified by the news of another senseless shooting, this time all the more disturbing because it happened at a Catholic church and school, which should always be sanctuaries of peace. We mourn the two innocent children whose lives were cut short by this dreadful tragedy and hold in our intentions the seventeen wounded." He added, "we join in compassionate solidarity with the countless families of the city of Minneapolis, Annunciation Catholic school, and beyond who have been touched by an unthinkable grief caused by mindnumbing gun violence which has become all too common. We pray for an end to all violence in our hearts, in our communities, and in our world."
Pope: Proclamation of Christ is mission of every Christian Pope Leo XIV meets with members of the St. Andrew School of Evangelization, and invites all Christians to embrace our mission to proclaim Jesus Christ. By Devin Watkins
On the feast of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, Pope Leo XIV met with members of the St. Andrew School of Evangelization, a Catholic ministry of lay people and clergy to proclaim the Gospel.
In his address, the Pope pointed to the life and ministry of St. John the Baptist as an example for modern missionaries.
The Gospel of John says that John the Baptist bore witness that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” he said.
“If we carefully reread the first chapters of the fourth Gospel,” noted the Pope, “we can discover what is the key of every school of evangelization: to bear witness to what has been contemplated, to the encounter one has had with the God of life.”
Proclaiming What We Have Seen And Heard
Pope Leo also recalled the First Letter of St. John, which laid out the mission of the Church and every Christian: “What we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
The Pope then invited all members of the St. Andrew School of Evangelization to embrace their mission as baptized Christians, so that everyone may come to know and love Christ.
“During these days of pilgrimage,” he said, “I invite you in a special way to contemplate the lives of the saints who, like John the Baptist, have been faithful followers of Jesus Christ, manifesting Him in words and works of goodness.”
In conclusion, Pope Leo XIV prayed that Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, may protect the them and lead them forward with renewed hope.
St. Andrew School of Evangelization
The St. Andrew School of Evangelization unites lay people and clergy in answering Jesus’ call to evangelize to the ends of the earth.
According to the organization’s website, it was named after the Apostle Andrew, who evangelized his brother, Peter, after hearing Jesus preach
Human Fraternity Fellowship Continues Legacy Of Pope Francis In New Generations
The second edition of the Human Fraternity Fellowship program, inspired by the Document of Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Al-Tayeb of Al-Azhar in 2019, leads 10 student leaders to Jakarta, Indonesia, to prepare “the next generation of leaders to engage across cultural and religious divides.” By Vatican News
The second edition of the Human Fraternity Fellowship Program organized by the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity and Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs has concluded.
With a series of virtual sessions over the summer and an interactive week-long study tour in Jakarta, Indonesia, the program brought together 10 student leaders from major universities around the world. Its goal: to carry on the legacy of the Document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Al-Tayeb of Al-Azhar in Abu Dhabi in 2019..
An Investment In The Future
During the tour in Jakarta, the students participated in advanced dialogue workshops and hands-on training to refine their skills in cultivating interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
The group met with humanitarians, diplomats, and public figures, such as Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, and Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, former vice president of the Republic of Indonesia and former Zayed Award for Human Fraternity judging committee member.
Africa To Host Landmark World Congress 2026 For Catholic Media Practitioners In Rwanda
SIGNIS Africa President, Fr. Prof. Walter Chikwendu Ihejirika, has said that the recent SECAM Plenary Assembly of Africa’s Catholic Bishops has warmly welcomed the Catholic communication association’s plans to hold the SIGNIS World Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, next year. Paul Samasumo – Vatican City.
Fr. Walter expressed his gratitude to SIGNIS World for entrusting Africa with the task of hosting the global gathering of Catholic communicators. He assured participants of a uniquely African experience and expressed confidence that the continent is equal to the task of hosting the global event.
SIGNIS (World Catholic Association for Communication) is an international Catholic organisation for professionals in media and new technologies, including press, radio, television, cinema, and digital media. It functions as a global network with representatives from numerous countries and regional groups such as SIGNIS Africa. SIGNIS holds Pontifical recognition by the Vatican as an international public association of the Church and is considered an important arm of its evangelizing mission.
Bishops of Africa Welcome SIGNIS Congress
According to Fr. Walter, since SIGNIS is a Catholic association, it was essential to seek the blessings of the Bishops of Africa, who recently convened in Kigali for their SECAM Plenary Assembly.
“We are an association for the Church that helps her fulfill her mission of communicating the Gospel message and values worldwide. Specifically, SIGNIS Africa is part of SECAM. We have been collaborating with SECAM through the Episcopal Commission for Communication, CEPACS. We regularly interact with Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, and Bishop Bernadin Mfumbusa, the immediate past and current Bishop Chair of CEPACS, who is always present at our activities. So, we attended this SECAM assembly as part of SECAM’s mission. But most importantly, we came to inform the Bishops of Africa about our SIGNIS World Congress, scheduled for Kigali in August 2026. We are grateful that the SIGNIS World President and Secretary-General also attended the SECAM Plenary to speak with the Bishops and share our plans for the congress. We felt it was important to properly brief the Bishops of Africa about this upcoming milestone,” Fr. Walter explained.
Diane Foley meets the Pope: How I came to forgive my son's murderer Pope Leo XIV receives Diane Foley alongside writer Colum McCann, with whom she co-authored a book recounting the events surrounding her son’s death and the profound human and spiritual journey she undertook—a painful path of love and a desire to understand, which even led her to meet one of her son’s killers. By Eugenio Murrali
Diane Foley Is A Mother.
There is no more fitting way to describe this woman and her “story of mercy.” Her son, journalist James Wright Foley—Jim—was kidnapped in northern Syria in 2012 and beheaded by ISIS two years later.
In October 2021, Diane found the strength and determination to meet one of her son's killers, Alexanda Kotey. She told him who Jim really was: a generous and courageous young man who cared deeply about telling the stories and truths of the people he met.
In her book, American Mother, written together with renowned author Colum McCann, Diane preserves forever the portrait of her beloved son—stolen from her in the most brutal way. She also captures her own journey of grief, compassion, and understanding: a path she chose to walk without ever letting go of her humanity. It is a path that brought her face-to-face with one of those responsible for Jim’s death, that pushed her to keep asking questions—of herself and of the world—sustained by faith and the essential power of prayer.
Today, Diane brought Jim’s memory to Pope Leo XIV, who received her in a private audience—another sign of grace in these difficult years.
Q: What does meeting with Pope Leo XIV today mean to you and to your son's story?
It was an incredible gift. As an American, we are so honored and grateful to have a Pope that was born in the United States because we need that healing and hope in the world. As an American citizen, I was deeply honored to meet him, and I will pray for him because we need his leadership for peace and hope in the world.
Q: When you decided to meet with Alexanda Kotey, one of your son's killers, you felt the need to tell him who Jim was. Who was Jim? Why did you want to tell Kotey about your son?
