Hope for Creation in 2025

This Jubilee 2025 year of grace and hope also marks the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’ On Care for Our Common Home and the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s Canticle of the Creatures. The Catholic Church worldwide celebrates a Jubilee Year or Holy Year every 25 years and the 2025 theme is Pilgrims of Hope. In the Bible, a Jubilee year was intended “as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation”. 

Catholics around the world are celebrating by organizing or joining initiatives seeking to heal these relationships and raise hope for creation—from Laudato Si Week in May to the Season of Creation in September, and throughout the year.

Creation Care Ministry suggests some ways to raise hope for creation:

Suggested ways to pray, learn and take action:

• Join St. Joan of Arc parish as we celebrate the Season of Creation as part of the masses on September 6 – 7; 

• Read Pope Leo’s message for the September 1st World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Seeds of Peace and Hope; 

• Livestream the Raising Hope Conference for the tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’ on October 1-3 beginning with a celebration of hope for our common home led by Pope Leo XIV on October 1st from 9:30 – 11:00 AM; 

• Explore free online resources such as the ecumenical Celebration Guide and other resources at the Season of Creation website. Catholic Climate Covenant provides Homily Helps for all Season of Creation Sundays plus a list of resources including a Catholic Liturgical Guide and their Feast of St. Francis Eco-Spirituality Resource featuring art, prayers, reflections, liturgies, programs and more.

• Join Christians around the world supporting climate justice by calling for debt relief for countries suffering climate impacts and unjust economic burdens. See the next 2 points to learn more and take action. 

2. Support the global Turn Debt into Hope campaign:  In this Jubilee Year, Pope Francis called on us to take part in this campaign to “forgive the debts of countries that will never be able to repay them.” This action cares for creation as the debt crisis also threatens the environment. Pressure to repay debt can stop poor countries from using funds to deal with climate change and lead them to allow depletion of natural resources like forests and fisheries, as well as water pollution. Learn more about the Development and Peace campaign to cancel the unjust debts of the Global South and prevent future debt crises. If you have not yet signed the global petition, it can be signed online at devp.org/debt. Read the Canadian Bishops’ new Pastoral Letter on Debt Forgiveness in the Jubilee Year 2025 which includes a section on ‘ecological debt’.

3. Reduce ecological debt:  In a Jubilee Year appeal for hope, Pope Francis called forgiving these financial debts “a matter of justice” in light of a new form of injustice called “ecological debt”. In Laudato Si’ (#51-52), Pope Francis’ letter on care for our common home, the Pope explained ecological debt as wealthier countries’ greater use of natural resources and contribution to global pollution including from mine waste and climate change, that has harmful impacts on poorer countries. Some ways we can help reduce this ecological debt include:  

• Avoiding unnecessary purchases;

• Eating more plant-based foods; 

• Reducing emissions e.g. by taking public transport, walking and cycling;

• Reducing waste, especially plastic waste and eliminating food waste;

• Most important—joining a movement like Development and Peace or Laudato Si' Movement working on the debt crisis and other social and ecological justice.

4. Share the message of Laudato Si’:  If you have not yet read Laudato Si’, visit our Laudato Si’ webpage which has links to Laudato Si’ and Pope Francis’ update in 2023 called Laudate Deum (Praise God) as well as various study guides, videos, and other resources and links. For the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, we are invited to raise hope by helping 10 more people to hear the message of Laudato Si’. We invite you to explore and share these Laudato Si’ resources. 

5. St. Joan of Arc parishioners—consider joining Creation Care Ministry: New members are welcome! If interested, send us an email at creationcare1701@gmail.com.