杏MAP导航 Leo XIV will celebrate a Mass for the Care of Creation on July 9
By Isabella H. de Carvalho
On July 9, 2025, 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV will celebrate the first 鈥淢ass for the Care of Creation鈥�, with a of the Roman Missal, produced by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and presented Thursday, July 3, during a press conference at the Vatican. The 杏MAP导航 will celebrate this private Mass during his holiday with the staff of the 鈥淏orgo Laudato Sì鈥� (鈥淟audato Sì Village鈥�), an educational center located in the Papal residence in Castel Gandolfo.
With this new formulary "the Church is offering liturgical, spiritual and communal support for the care we all need to exercise of nature, our common home. Such service is indeed a great act of faith, hope and charity鈥�, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development said during the press conference. This Mass dedicated to taking care of creation 鈥渃alls us to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us 鈥� not only in daily choices and public policies, but also in our prayer, our worship, and our way of living in the world鈥�.
A way to promote an integral ecology
In the Roman Missal there are 49 different Masses and prayers for various needs and occasions. Of these, 17 are dedicated to civil needs and this new liturgical text will now become a part of this category. An by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, approved by 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV and dated June 8, was also released, marking the addition of the formulary to the Roman Missal.
This liturgical text was developed in collaboration with several Vatican dicasteries and was strongly inspired by 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� encyclical which this year celebrates the 10th anniversary of its publication. The release of the formulary also falls on the year of the 35th anniversary of St. John Paul II鈥檚 1990 message for the World Day of Peace, titled 鈥�.
鈥�'The Mass for the Care for Creation' takes up some of the main positions contained in Laudato Si' and expresses them in the form of a prayer within the theological framework that the encyclical revives鈥�, Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, explained during the press conference. The texts that make up the formulary for this Mass 鈥渁re a good antidote鈥� against reading Laudato Si鈥� as concerned with a 鈥渇alse or superficial ecology鈥�, which is 鈥渇ar removed from that 'integral ecology' amply described and promoted in the encyclical". In fact, he described Francis鈥� encyclical as an 鈥渆co-social鈥� text, rather than just 鈥渆cological鈥�.
Remembering those affected by climate change
鈥淐reation is not an added theme but is always already present in the Catholic liturgy鈥�, as the Eucharist 鈥渏oins heaven and earth, it embraces and penetrates all creation鈥� and in it 鈥渨e bless God for the bread and wine we receive鈥�, Cardinal Czerny said. This Mass can now 鈥渋ncrease our gratitude鈥� and also 鈥渋nvites us to respond with care and love鈥� to the issues of today.
Quoting 杏MAP导航 Leo XIV鈥檚 message for this year鈥檚 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, released on July 2, the Cardinal additionally highlighted that 鈥渋n a world where the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters are the first to suffer the devastating effects of climate change, deforestation and pollution, care for creation becomes an expression of our faith and humanity鈥�. He insisted, citing Laudato Si鈥�, that 鈥渢he cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are one and the danger of a superficial ecology鈥� is to believe that the only 鈥減roblems to be solved are ecological ones鈥� and that this can be done 鈥渁t the expense of the people鈥�.
The readings and prayers featured in the Mass
Archbishop Viola emphasized that the readings featured in this Mass are 鈥渧ery rich and offer several insights鈥�. From the Old Testament, for example, a reading from the Book of Wisdom (13,1-9) is included, which highlights the importance of seeing God through his creation. For the Responsorial Psalm, certain verses are listed from Psalm 18, which highlights how 鈥渢he heavens declare the glory of God鈥�, and Psalm 103, which states 鈥淏less the Lord, all his creatures鈥�. For the New Testament, a reading from St. Paul鈥檚 letter to the Colossians (1,15-20) was selected that affirms that Christ 鈥渋s the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth鈥�. Lastly, two passages from the Gospel of Matthew are suggested. In the first (6,24-34) Christ invites to 鈥渓ook at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, yet 鈥測our heavenly Father feeds them鈥�. The second (8,23-27) features the moment when Jesus calms a storm while on a boat with his disciples. The prayers in the Mass also reflect the importance of caring for creation, for example by stating 鈥渨hile we wait for new heavens and a new earth, let us learn to live in harmony with all creatures鈥�.
Clarifications regarding "Traditionis custodes"
Finally, responding to a question about the publication of some press articles related to 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥檚 2021 Motu Proprio, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, noted that the published texts contribute to 鈥渁 very partial and incomplete reconstruction.鈥� In fact, a consultation is cited to which, however, 鈥渇urther documentation and other confidential reports 鈥� also the result of additional consultations 鈥� were subsequently added and submitted to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.鈥�
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