Pope Leo XIV urges followers to cherish the Earth

Pope Leo XIV held a special Mass for the environment on Tuesday in the gardens of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo near Rome, urging people to protect nature and condemning destruction caused by wars.

“Let us place in silent mode the many noises generated by human activity so that we may hear the melodious voice of creation,” the pope said in his homily.

He said he hoped the Mass would encourage awareness of personal and collective responsibility for preserving what he called the original harmony of creation.

In a written message, Pope Leo also urged followers to “cherish the Earth” and described a “vicious cycle” between armed conflicts and environmental degradation. “These phenomena are not unrelated; they are a single plea for healing and peace arising from a wounded world,” he wrote.

Pope Leo has repeatedly emphasised environmental protection. In November last year, he urged “concrete actions” on climate change and said some leaders lacked the will to act. He has followed his predecessor Francis, whose 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si” denounced human exploitation of the environment.