1 September marks the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and the beginning of the Ecumenical Season of Creation, a month of prayer, reflection and action that concludes on 4 October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi.

At the centre of this year’s message is the notion: what might happen if the energy and resources used to destroy were instead used to build, nourish and restore?

Pope Leo’s message takes its inspiration from the prophet Isaiah:

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:4).

This year’s message draws attention to the close relationship between armed conflict and damage to the environment. War can leave lasting scars on land and water, disrupt food supplies and place further pressure on communities already experiencing poverty and hardship. At the same time, competition for resources and environmental damage can contribute to instability and conflict.

His message goes beyond the political and environmental dimensions of these problems by asking us to look inward.

Behind patterns of violence, exploitation and disregard for creation, he identifies deeper attitudes within the human heart: the desire to control, the pursuit of immediate gain and a failure to see the dignity of others and the responsibility that comes with being entrusted with creation. For this reason, the message is ultimately a call for hearts to change too.

Together, can we consider how faith shapes the way we treat other people, the natural world and the resources available to us?

The challenge is also practical. What if resources directed towards destruction could instead help feed people experiencing hunger, address poverty, protect human dignity, strengthen communities and care for the world we share?

The Season of Creation therefore offers an opportunity not simply to think about the planet, but to consider what needs to change within human hearts and communities.

Pope Leo concludes with a hopeful vision of transformation: “from desert to garden, from division to communion, and from violence to peace.”

As the Season of Creation begins, these words offer a timely invitation to consider what might be transformed when what is used for destruction is instead directed towards life.

Read Pope Leo XIV’s full message here: Message of the Holy Father on the occasion of the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation [1 September 2026] (15 August 2026)