SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 – 2ND WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR CREATION
August 30, 2016
The Vatican Office responsible for issues regarding the environment has announced that Pope Francis will present his Message for the second World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on 1 September 2016. It is entitled Show Mercy to our Common Home. From its very title, the Message situates our living-out of Laudato Si’ squarely within the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Laudato Si’, of course being the Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the Environment issued on Pentecost last year.
In preparation for the September 1st proclamation, the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, who hails from Africa, Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson, invites all interested parties to review earlier Papal statements and teaching on the question of respect for the earth in which we live.
He recommends reading the following earlier messages from previous Popes:
St. John Paul II – Message for World Day of Peace – 1 JANUARY 1990 entitled: “PEACE WITH GOD THE CREATOR, PEACE WITH ALL OF CREATION”;
Pope Benedict XVI’s World Day of Peace message - 1 JANUARY 2010 - entitled: “IF YOU WANT TO CULTIVATE PEACE, PROTECT CREATION”
As well as Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si’.
He also provided a moving youtube presentation of Pope Francis’ excerpts and comments on Laudato Si’.
Furthermore, a Prayer Service is available for the celebration of the event. A “Time of Creation” has been designated to occur between September 1st and October 4th. The prayer service which he considers suitable for a Holy Hour or Benediction, has also been made available [click here]:
The Message itself will be presented on Thursday morning 1 September in the Vatican Press Hall. The press conference can be watched via live streaming (audio-video) at http://www.radiovaticana.va/ where it will subsequently remain available on demand.
