Christians around the world are joining in the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on 1st September.
The date also marks the beginning of the Season of Creation, which runs until 4th October – commemorated by Roman Catholics and other churches from the Western tradition as the feast day of St Francis of Assisi, known for his affinity with nature and in particular as the writer of the prayer, the Canticle of the Creatures.
The 1st September was proclaimed as a day of prayer for the environment by the Orthodox Church in 1989 with many other Christian churches since following suit, most recently the Roman Catholic Church following a declaration by Pope Francis last year.
In a video message for the day, Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, said Christians believe God did not abandon creation and “that we ourselves can become beacons of hope by sowing the seeds of a future filled with justice and peace”.
Noting that we live in a world where “almost everything has a price tag”, he said it was time for Christians to affirm once again that “creation is not for sale”.
“This means that we need to change drastically, the way we produce goods, the way we organise trade and operate in the financial system. It implies significant changes in our consumption patterns and our lifestyles, how we use and how we steward the resources of creation.”
During the Season of Creation, as well as praying, Christians around the world are being encouraged to take actions such as calling on governments to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change and as well as divesting from investment in fossil fuels and reinvesting in sustainable initiatives.
Tomás Insua, global coordinator of the Global Catholic Climate Movement, said that with the world seeing record-breaking heat, “we Catholics need to respond to the dramatic call to action of the Holy Father in Laudato Si’”. “And the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation is the perfect opportunity for Catholic parishes and communities to deepen their ecological engagement and join other Christians to take action during the Season of Creation.”
Along with the World Council of Churches and the Global Catholic Climate Movement, other organisations leading promotion efforts for the Season of Creation include the Anglican Communion Environmental Network, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (Apostleship of Prayer), ACT Alliance and GreenFaith.
