Pope Leo XIV says “Care for creation is truly a vocation for every human being" at Inauguration of Laudato Si Village
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INAUGURAL CELEBRATION OF THE LAUDATO SI' VILLAGE
HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
Borgo Laudato si' (Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo)
Friday, September 5, 2025
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Dearest brothers and sisters,
In the text of Matthew's Gospel that we have just heard, Jesus addresses several teachings to his disciples. I would like to focus on one of them, which seems particularly appropriate for this celebration. He says: "Look at the birds of the air... Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow" ( Mt 6:26,28).
It's not uncommon for the Master of Nazareth to reference nature in his teachings. Flora and fauna are often prominent features of his parables. But in this case, there's a clear invitation to observe and contemplate creation, actions aimed at understanding the Creator's original plan.
(POPE LEO XIV's Homily in English at the 1 Hour 23 Minute Mark on the VIDEO)
Everything has been wisely ordered, from the beginning, so that all creatures contribute to the realization of the Kingdom of God. Each creature has an important and specific role in his plan, and each is a “good thing,” as the Book of Genesis emphasizes (see Gen 1:1-29).
In the same Gospel passage, referring to the birds and the lilies, Jesus asks his disciples two questions: "Are you not worth more than they?"; and then: "If God so clothes the grass of the field, ... will he not much more clothe you?" ( Mt 6:30).
Almost as if implicitly repeating the story of Genesis, Jesus emphasizes the special place reserved, in the creative act, for the human being: the most beautiful creature, made in the image and likeness of God. But this privilege comes with a great responsibility: that of caring for all other creatures, respecting the Creator's plan (see Gen 2:15).
Care for creation, is truly a vocation for every human being, a commitment to be carried out within creation itself, without ever forgetting that we are creatures among creatures and not creators. For this reason, it is important, as my predecessor wrote , "to recover a serene harmony with creation, to reflect on our lifestyle and our ideals, to contemplate the Creator who lives among us and in all that surrounds us" ( Laudato si' , 225).
The Borgo Laudato si' , which we are inaugurating today, is one of the Church's initiatives aimed at realizing this "vocation to be custodians of God's work" (Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum , 217): a demanding but beautiful and fascinating task, which constitutes a primary aspect of the Christian experience.
Borgo Laudato si' is a seed of hope, which Pope Francis has left us as a legacy, a "seed that can bear fruits of justice and peace" ( Message for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation ). And it will do so by remaining faithful to its mandate: to be a tangible model of thought, structure, and action, capable of fostering ecological conversion through education and catechesis.
What we see today is a synthesis of extraordinary beauty, where spirituality, nature, history, art, work, and technology coexist in harmony. This is ultimately the idea of a "village," a place of convivial closeness and proximity.
And all this cannot fail to speak to us of God.
Everything has been wisely ordered, from the beginning, so that all creatures contribute to the realization of the Kingdom of God. Each creature has an important and specific role in his plan, and each is a “good thing,” as the Book of Genesis emphasizes (see Gen 1:1-29).
In the same Gospel passage, referring to the birds and the lilies, Jesus asks his disciples two questions: "Are you not worth more than they?"; and then: "If God so clothes the grass of the field, ... will he not much more clothe you?" ( Mt 6:30).
Almost as if implicitly repeating the story of Genesis, Jesus emphasizes the special place reserved, in the creative act, for the human being: the most beautiful creature, made in the image and likeness of God. But this privilege comes with a great responsibility: that of caring for all other creatures, respecting the Creator's plan (see Gen 2:15).
Care for creation, is truly a vocation for every human being, a commitment to be carried out within creation itself, without ever forgetting that we are creatures among creatures and not creators. For this reason, it is important, as my predecessor wrote , "to recover a serene harmony with creation, to reflect on our lifestyle and our ideals, to contemplate the Creator who lives among us and in all that surrounds us" ( Laudato si' , 225).
The Borgo Laudato si' , which we are inaugurating today, is one of the Church's initiatives aimed at realizing this "vocation to be custodians of God's work" (Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum , 217): a demanding but beautiful and fascinating task, which constitutes a primary aspect of the Christian experience.
Borgo Laudato si' is a seed of hope, which Pope Francis has left us as a legacy, a "seed that can bear fruits of justice and peace" ( Message for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation ). And it will do so by remaining faithful to its mandate: to be a tangible model of thought, structure, and action, capable of fostering ecological conversion through education and catechesis.
What we see today is a synthesis of extraordinary beauty, where spirituality, nature, history, art, work, and technology coexist in harmony. This is ultimately the idea of a "village," a place of convivial closeness and proximity.
And all this cannot fail to speak to us of God.
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