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16h ago

Pope Leo XIV Celebrates First ‘Green’ Papal Mass With New Care of Creation Rite

The Mass at Castel Gandolfo’s ecological center invoked prayers for climate justice with special mention of Texas flood victims.

Pope Leo XIV, newly elected, waves to the people from the terrace of the summer papal estate in Castel Gandolfo, approximately 40 kilometers southeast of Rome, on July 6, 2025. This two-week sojourn marks the revival of a longstanding papal tradition that had been temporarily suspended during the pontificate of Pope Francis. Castel Gandolfo eagerly anticipates the arrival of a pope for the first time in over a decade. (Photo by Maria Grazia Picciarella / Middle East Images via AFP)
Pope Leo XIV smiles as he arrives at Castel Gandolfo, a hill town on the shores of Lake Albano, where he will be spending two weeks of vacation, in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, July 6, 2025. REUTERS/Vincenzo Livieri/File Photo
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Overview

  • On July 3 the Vatican published the “Mass for the care of creation” rite, adding it to its catalog of liturgies for specific needs.
  • Leo XIV paused his two-week Castel Gandolfo holiday to preside over the outdoor ceremony, underscoring his priority on environmental stewardship.
  • He explicitly identified “climate changes provoked by human activity” as the root of ecological harm affecting the poor and marginalized.
  • During the service at the Vatican’s new ecological educational center, the liturgy included a prayer for those killed in recent Texas flash floods.
  • The green Mass extends Pope Francis’s environmental legacy as the Vatican advances carbon-neutral projects such as a planned solar farm and educational initiatives.