Ecological conversion requires a “reversal of direction” of everyone’s conscience, because Creation is intimately connected to a revolution of the spirit: this is the heart of the conference presenting the Pope’s message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation, held today in the Vatican Press Office. The reference to the upcoming Jubilee and the need to involve young people in protecting the environment, also through social media, is central.
Ecological conversion requires a “reversal of direction” of everyone’s conscience, because Creation is intimately connected to a revolution of the spirit: this is the heart of the conference presenting the Pope’s message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation, held today in the Vatican Press Office. The reference to the upcoming Jubilee and the need to involve young people in protecting the environment, also through social media, is central.
A climate crisis that “is bringing the whole of humanity to its knees” and which represents “a clear and dramatic provocation to our humanity: if creation suffers, we too suffer; if there is harmony among men, then there is also harmony in creation.” In the Press Office of the Holy See, the warning of the speakers called to present Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation resonates forcefully. Established by the Pontiff in August 2015, the anniversary – which falls on the 1st September and has an ecumenical character – reaches its tenth edition this year.
The redemption of creation on the horizon of the Jubilee
The theme of the message, presented together with a short video that summarizes the main points, is Hope and act with creation, a title which – states Sr Alessandra Smerilli, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development – already orients towards the ‘Holy Year, centered on the motto Pilgrims of Hope. “The theme of integral ecology – underlines the Sister – can thus be explored in depth within the horizon of redemption and reopening of history that characterizes every Jubilee”. Hope and act, therefore, because “today it is dramatically clearer that there is hope if there is a change in present conditions“.
Christian hope goes beyond optimism
However, to be effective, this change – adds Sr Smerilli – must generate from an “ecological conversion which, like any conversion experience, is a spiritual event with visible, concrete repercussions“. From this perspective, Sr Alessandra highlights the “markedly theological” content of the Pontifical message, precisely to reiterate that hope is “almost a miracle of God in us and around us, a wonder of grace that goes far beyond optimism” and with which one can “respond to historical circumstances”.
The urgency of a change of direction in everyone’s consciences
This response, according to the Dicastery’s desire for integral human development, is urgent because the call for conversion is urgent and “calls for a reversal of direction” of everyone’s consciences. The air, the water, the earth and the poor “cry out in their suffering“, says Sr Smerilli, and their cry is “connected to a revolution of the spirit”. However, even if all human beings are responsible for this cry, not all are responsible “in the same way“: in fact, ode to the religious, those who have had the most from creation have taken”, overriding “the balances on which it is based Justice“.
The model of Saint Francis of Assisi
Father Daniel Rodríguez Blanco, Director of the office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) of the General Curia of the Friars Minor also focuses on the theme of conversion: in Pope Francis’ message, he explains: “the Holy Spirit is mentioned 19 times and hope 14 times”. This means that both are “constitutive of Christian spirituality” and that “the action of the Spirit allows the Christian to look to the future with hope”. For this reason, therefore, there cannot be a conversion of lifestyles “without the power of the Spirit and without the optimism of hope“.
Looking, then, to 2025 – the year in which, in addition to the Jubilee, the 800 years of the Canticle of the Creatures, composed by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1225 will also be celebrated – Father Daniel Rodríguez Blanco invites us to look at the Poverello-the poor man of Assisi as a model for discovering ” not only human, but also cosmic brotherhood”: he, in fact, was able to listen to “the groan of creation, that of the people, that of the poor of his time and he also learned to pay attention to the groans of the Spirit”.
The importance of involving young people
It then appears evident – as highlighted for his part by Don Alberto Ravagnani, a priest of the Archdiocese of Milan and collaborator of the Diocesan Youth Ministry – that “our faith and our holiness are also played out in the relationship with Creation”, because “the safeguarding creation is a theological and therefore anthropological question.” In this context, an important role belongs to young people, both believers and non-believers. “The current climate crisis – explains the priest – looms over their future as an increasingly unavoidable threat” and in particular amongst young Christians there is the awareness that “our destiny in eternity is at stake”.
The environmental theme is a point of contact with non-believers
For this reason, Don Ravagnani reiterates, “the theme of care for creation should rightly be included in youth pastoral care for the formation of the faith of the new generations. A faith that ignites hope and mobilizes action, so as to generate new works for the good of the environment.” Furthermore, if proposed as indispensably linked to “our identity as creatures, as children, as brothers and sisters“, the environmental theme will be “a point of contact” between the Church and society, between believers and non-believers, on a united journey “towards a better world.”
Use the web with wisdom and courage
At the same time, the use of the Internet and social networks must be central to raise awareness, especially amongst young people, on the topic. It is online, the priest recalls, that young people “share their dreams and their battles” and it is therefore through the web that the Church “can propose integral human ecology to the world”, intercepting “hope and action of the new generations, even non-believers, regarding the care of creation“, so as to have a real impact on today’s society and guide the development of tomorrow’s society. “If social networks can help us carry out our mission in this era – continues Don Ravagnani – then it is imperative to apply them and use them with wisdom and courage”. It is no coincidence that the Pope’s message will also be spread with the contribution of “Fraternity”, the community born from the priest’s online activity and which today involves around 300 young people between 16 and 26 years old throughout Italy.
Start long-term projects
Thereupon, when asked by journalists, Don Ravagnani focuses on the protests of young eco-activists, underlining that this type of demonstrations are “very divisive”: not all young people, after all, “support this extreme way of expressing a certain opposition”. Most of them, on the contrary, want to “commit themselves to changing things not by destroying what exists, but by creating something new, starting projects that, in the long term, can leave their mark“.
The ecumenical value of the Day of the 1st September. 2024
For her part, María Lía Zervino, of the Servidora Association (which on the initiative of the Argentine priest and servant of God, Luis María Etcheverry Boneo since 1952 has brought together consecrated women) and member of the Council of the Laudato si’ movement, recalls that the World Day of prayer for the care of creation marks the beginning of the Season of Creation which ends on the 4th October, the Feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi. This period “is celebrated by all denominations of the Christian family” and therefore has an ecumenical value, especially in the promotion of justice and peace in the world.