Pope Leo XIV has approved a new Mass emphasizing environmental stewardship, amid Europe’s ongoing heat waves and wildfires.
As Europe faces unprecedented heatwaves, resulting in soaring temperatures, wildfires, and fatalities, the Vatican took a significant step toward environmental consciousness by unveiling a new liturgy for Mass on Thursday. This revised Mass specifically addresses the church’s responsibility to protect the planet, incorporating prayers, readings, and hymns aligned with this mission.
During a press conference, Cardinal Michael Czerny, who leads the Vatican’s Dicastery for Integral Human Development, expressed that the new Mass “can be used to ask God for the ability to care for creation.”
The Mass, titled Pro Custodia Creationis (For the Care of Creation), was initially conceptualized by Pope Francis, who consistently emphasized ecological responsibility throughout his papacy, notably in his 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home.” Pope Leo XIV appears poised to continue this focus on the environment, marking a continuity with his predecessors’ social concerns. He plans to privately celebrate the new Mass at Borgo Laudato Si’, an ecologically-minded village project initiated by Francis, located within the gardens of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, on Wednesday.
The new Mass will join the list of 17 existing Masses dedicated to specific civil needs, such as those for the harvest, rain, and migration, drawing inspiration from Francis’ “green” encyclical, which marks its 10th anniversary this year.
A collaborative effort between the Dicastery for Integral Human Development and the Dicastery for Divine Worship, the Mass is inspired by St. John Paul II’s 1990 World Day of Peace message that highlighted the relationship between humanity and the environment. Cardinal Czerny noted, “In 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.”
Monsignor Vittorio Francesco Viola, the secretary of the Vatican’s liturgical department, explained that the Mass begins with an entrance antiphon that themed around “the glory of God” as revealed through creation. This liturgical celebration reaches its pinnacle during the Eucharist, concluding with a post-Communion prayer reflecting humanity’s intrinsic connection to God, neighbors, and the Earth—a relationship disrupted by sin, as discussed in “Laudato Si’.”
In this Mass, readings from the Gospel of Matthew illustrate God’s care for “the lilies of the field and the birds of the air,” and recount Jesus calming the storm, emphasizing believers’ responsibility to safeguard the environment. These readings challenge interpretations of Genesis that support human dominion over nature for personal gain.
Cardinal Czerny remarked, “This Mass is a reason for joy,” adding that it “calls us to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us—not only in daily choices and public policies but also in our prayer, our worship, and our way of living in the world.”
The unveiling of Pro Custodia Creationis underscores the Vatican’s commitment to integrating environmental stewardship into religious practice, spotlighting the interconnection between spirituality and ecological responsibility.
According to Religion News Service, this initiative reflects the Vatican’s acknowledgment of the pressing need for faith communities to actively engage in promoting environmental care.