VATICAN CITY — Christians around the world on Sunday (August 31_) observed Creation Day, an annual celebration that honors the mystery of Creation and calls believers to care for the environment.

At his Sunday Angelus on September 1, Pope Leo XIV recalled that Pope Francis formally extended the observance to Catholics in 2015 by instituting the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

The Pope said 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,” Pope Leo 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.”

Creation Day, also known as the World Day of Prayer for Creation, was first introduced by the Orthodox Church in 1989 and is rooted in liturgical practices dating back to the 5th century.

The day is meant to honor God as Creator, commemorate the mystery of Creation in Christ, and inspire Christians to safeguard the natural world.

The World Council of Churches (WCC), which brings together Orthodox and Protestant communities, highlighted the day’s significance with a new video explaining its history and symbolism.

Catholic Bishops’ Conferences in several countries had marked Creation Day since the 1990s, but it was only in 2015 that Pope Francis instituted it as a day of prayer for the universal Catholic Church. Since then, the Vatican has issued annual messages to guide the celebration.

This year, Pope Leo XIV continued the tradition by releasing a special message for Creation Day 2025. He noted that the chosen theme, “Seeds of Peace and Hope,” links the observance with the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ and the ongoing Jubilee Year celebrations under the motto “Pilgrims of Hope.”

“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

Pope Leo also introduced a new “Mass for the Care of Creation,” approved by the Dicastery for Divine Worship.

The formulary, intended for possible use during future Creation Day celebrations, allows Catholic communities to incorporate the observance into the liturgy for the first time, beyond traditional ecumenical prayer services.

Globally, the Creation Day initiative is coordinated by the World Council of Churches under the leadership of its moderator, Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, in collaboration with Christian world communions and partner organizations.