Seeds of peace and hope

Dear brothers and sisters,

The theme of this World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, chosen by our beloved Pope Francis, is “Seeds of Peace and Hope.” On the tenth anniversary of the institution of the Day, which coincided with the publication of the encyclical Laudato si’, we find ourselves in the midst of the Jubilee, as “pilgrims of hope”. And it is precisely in this context that the theme takes on its full significance.

Many times in his preaching, Jesus uses the image of the seed to speak of the Kingdom of God, and on the eve of his Passion he applies it to himself, comparing himself to the grain of wheat, which must die to bear fruit (cf.  Jn  12:24). The seed gives itself completely to the earth, and there, with the impetuous force of its gift, life sprouts, even in the most unexpected places, with a surprising capacity to generate the future. Let us think, for example, of the flowers that grow along the roadsides: no one planted them, and yet they grow thanks to seeds that have arrived there almost by chance, managing to adorn the gray of the asphalt and even break its hard surface.

Therefore, in Christ we are seeds. Not only that, but “seeds of peace and hope.” As the prophet Isaiah says, the Spirit of God is able to transform the arid and parched desert into a garden, a place of rest and serenity: “until a spirit is poured upon us from on high. Then the desert will become a garden, and the garden will be like a forest. Justice will dwell in the desert, and justice will abide in the garden. The work of justice will be peace, and the fruit of justice will be quietness and security forever. My people will dwell in a place of peace, in secure dwellings, in quiet resting places” (Is 32:15-18).

These prophetic words, which will accompany the ecumenical initiative of the “Season of Creation” from September 1 to October 4, forcefully affirm that, together with prayer, there is a need for will and concrete actions that make this “caress of God” perceptible in the world (cf. Laudato  si’, 84). Justice and law, in fact, seem to heal the inhospitable nature of the desert. This is a message of extraordinary relevance. In various parts of the world, it is already evident that our earth is deteriorating. Everywhere, injustice, the violation of international law and the rights of peoples, inequalities and the greed that result from them produce deforestation, pollution, and the loss of biodiversity. Extreme natural phenomena caused by climate change induced by human activities (cf. Apostolic Exhortation  Laudate Deum, 5) are increasing in intensity and frequency, without taking into account the medium and long-term effects of human and ecological devastation caused by armed conflicts.

It seems there is still a lack of awareness that destroying nature does not harm everyone equally: trampling on justice and peace means harming the poorest, the marginalized, and then excluded the most. In this context, the suffering of Indigenous communities is emblematic.

And that’s not all: nature itself sometimes becomes an instrument of exchange, a commodity traded for economic or political gain. In these dynamics, creation becomes a battlefield for the control of vital resources, as evidenced by agricultural areas and forests rendered dangerous by mines, the “scorched earth” policy  [1], the conflicts erupting around water sources, and the unequal distribution of raw materials, which penalizes the weakest populations and undermines their very social stability.

These various wounds are a consequence of sin. This is certainly not what God had in mind when he entrusted the earth to man, created in his image (cf.  Gen  1:24-29). The Bible does not promote “the despotic dominion of man over creation” (Laudato si’, 200). On the contrary, it is “important to read the biblical texts in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, and to remember that they invite us to ’till and care for’ the garden of the world (cf.  Gen  2:15). While ’till’ means to cultivate, plow, or work, ‘tend’ means to protect, guard, preserve, guard, and watch over. This implies a relationship of responsible reciprocity between man and nature” (ibid, 67).

Environmental justice—implicitly foretold by the prophets—can no longer be considered an abstract concept or a distant goal. It represents an urgent need that goes beyond simple environmental protection. In reality, it is a question of social, economic, and anthropological justice. For believers, it is also a theological requirement that, for Christians, bears the face of Jesus Christ, in whom all things were created and redeemed. In a world where the most vulnerable are the first to suffer the devastating effects of climate change, deforestation, and pollution, caring for creation becomes a matter of faith and humanity.

It is time to move from words to deeds. “Living the vocation to be protectors of God’s work is an essential part of a virtuous existence; it is not optional or a secondary aspect of the Christian experience” (ibid, 217). By working with dedication and tenderness, many seeds of justice can be made to germinate, thus contributing to peace and hope. Sometimes it takes years for the tree to bear its first fruits, years that involve an entire ecosystem in continuity, fidelity, collaboration, and love, especially if this love becomes a mirror of God’s self-sacrificing love.

Among the Church’s initiatives that are like seeds scattered in this field, I would like to recall the “Borgo Laudato si’” project, which Pope Francis left us as a legacy in Castel Gandolfo, a seed that can bear fruits of justice and peace. It is a project of education in integral ecology that aims to be an example of how we can live, work, and form a community by applying the principles of the encyclical Laudato si’.

I pray that the Almighty may send us abundantly his “spirit from on high” (Is  32:15), so that these and similar seeds may bear abundant fruit of peace and hope.

The encyclical  Laudato si’  has accompanied the Catholic Church and many people of good will for ten years. May it continue to inspire us, and may integral ecology be increasingly chosen and shared as a path forward. In this way, the seeds of hope will multiply, which we must “nurture and cultivate” with the grace of our great and unwavering Hope, the Risen Christ. In his name, I send my blessing to all of you.

Vatican, June 30, 2025, Memorial of the Holy Protomartyrs of the Holy Roman Church.

LEO PP. XIV

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[1]  Cf. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace,  Land and Food , LEV 2016, 51-53.