Castel Gandolfo: Celebrating the inaugural Mass for the Care of Creation at the Laudato Si’ Village in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV issued a heartfelt call to Christians to take up their sacred duty of healing the earth through peace, reconciliation, and a deeper spiritual vision.
Amid the serene surroundings of the papal summer residence just outside Rome, the Pope described the Mass setting as a “natural cathedral,” where creation itself seemed to join in worship. The altar, positioned beside a water basin reminiscent of ancient church baptisteries, served as a symbol of spiritual renewal through water and of the Christian journey toward wholeness.
In his homily, delivered partly off-script, the Holy Father lamented the devastation of nature caused by human recklessness. He pointed to recent environmental disasters as the tragic outcome of consumerist lifestyles and ecological neglect, urging believers to pray not only for the planet but also for the conversion of hearts, especially among those who still ignore the urgency of the climate crisis.
Turning to the prepared text, Pope Leo contrasted the peace of the Laudato Si’ Village with the climate emergencies and wars gripping the globe. Yet, he reminded the faithful that hope remains rooted in Christ. "Jesus, the Lord of all creation, still calms the storm," he said, recalling the Gospel story of Jesus quieting the sea. In that miracle, he said, lies the assurance that God’s power to save surpasses the forces that threaten us.
Echoing the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi, the Pope emphasized that a renewed relationship with nature begins with a contemplative gaze a loving, attentive awareness that recognizes creation as a gift from God. This, he said, is the antidote to the ecological rupture brought about by sin: the broken ties between humanity, God, one another, and the earth.
“The cry of the earth and of the poor has reached the heart of God,” Pope Leo declared. “Our outrage at injustice is also God’s outrage. Our labor for healing the world is His labor too.”
He called upon the Church to be a prophetic voice in the world, working to transform evil into good, injustice into justice, and greed into communion. The mission to care for creation, he said, is an extension of the Church’s vocation to uphold the enduring covenant between the Creator and His creation.
Pope Leo further explained that the Laudato Si’ Village was envisioned by Pope Francis as a “living laboratory” a model of ecological stewardship where people can experiment with new ways to protect and live in harmony with the natural world.
Concluding his message, the Pope quoted St. Augustine, saying: “O Lord, your works praise you so that we may love you, and we love you so that your works may praise you.” With that, he urged all Christians to become ambassadors of harmony, carrying forth the mission of reconciliation not only with one another but with all creation.