Pope Leo XIV Urges Conversion for Environmental Care in Inaugural Green Mass

Castel gandolfo: Pope Leo XIV has called for a conversion among those who do not recognize the importance of safeguarding the planet, as he officiated the Catholic Church’s inaugural ‘Green’ Mass. This Mass, with a special formulary for “the care of creation,” was celebrated for the first time on Wednesday at Borgo Laudato si’.

According to Ansa News Agency, the American pontiff, currently on a two-week retreat at the papal summer residence, emphasized the necessity for both personal and collective transformation. “At the beginning of the Mass we prayed for conversion, our conversion,” he stated, adding the need to pray for others, both within and outside the Church, who have yet to acknowledge the pressing need to care for our shared environment.

The pontiff linked the frequency of natural disasters across the globe to human excesses and lifestyle choices. He urged introspection, questioning whether individuals are themselves living in accordance with this needed conversion. The Green Mass took place at a
site dedicated by former Pope Francis to his environmental encyclical, Laudato si’, mirroring Leo XIV’s commitment to addressing climate change and environmental degradation as key priorities for the Church.