“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:4) is the theme of Pope Leo XIV’s Message for the 2026 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, celebrated on 1 September 2026, thus beginning the Ecumenical Season of Creation, which will conclude on 4 October, the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi.
In his Message, Pope Leo XIV writes that in celebrating this World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, “we are once again invited to contemplate the gift of life and to cherish the earth that sustains it, for they are tangible ways of offering praise to our Creator”.
The Pope states that Jesus’ promise of peace stands in stark contrast to the realities we see in many parts of the world today – efforts directed towards violence and war.
“War leaves wounds that extend far beyond the battlefield. It claims lives, tears families apart and forces millions to flee their homes, thereby deepening fear, injustice and division. War also leaves behind social and ecological destruction that endures for generations. Moreover, the interaction between armed conflicts and environmental degradation often creates a vicious cycle, which destroys ecosystems, contaminates essential resources, such as air and water, and undermines food security. This fuels poverty, inequality, and new social tensions that can contribute to the emergence of further conflicts.
What is more, war creates wounds that damage the whole fabric of life, harming not only individual persons and communities, but also their broader network of relationships with the whole human family, and their harmony with creation. It reveals a deeper failure to live in God’s image and likeness, to respect life and to care for the earth entrusted to us. This is not only a political failure, but also a moral and spiritual one. Rooted in distorted desires and the misuse of human freedom and power, war stands as a counter-witness to the Gospel of peace”.
Pope Leo XIV links the wounds of war and the degradation of the earth to the condition of the human heart: “The conflicts that torment humanity are in many ways the outward expression of interior discord and division. Where the heart is distorted, relationships suffer, and the structures we build begin to reflect that disorder”.
The Pope ends his Message with a call for renewal:
“Dear brothers and sisters, the path before us is clear, though it is not easy. We are called to allow our hearts to be renewed, so that we might seek peace and care for creation. Scripture tells us to guard our hearts, for everything we do flows from them (cf. Prov 4:23).
If we take up this task with humility and faith, we will become collaborators in God’s work of renewal. We will move, slowly but surely, from desert to garden, from division to communion, and from violence to peace.
May the Lord grant us the courage to walk along this path, so that in our time, swords may indeed be beaten into plowshares, and the promise of the Gospel may take deeper root in our world, and the peace of Christ may reign over all of creation”.
The full text of the Pope’s message can be found here: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/messages/creation/documents/20260815-messaggio-giornata-curacreato.html
