Pope Leo XIV warned that war and environmental degradation are driving a “vicious cycle” of ecological destruction, poverty and further conflict as the Season of Creation began Sept. 1.
In his message for the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, released Aug. 15, the pope called for resources devoted to war to be redirected toward human development, poverty reduction, human dignity and reconciliation.
“Let us imagine a world in which the energies currently invested in war are directed toward integral human development, to overcoming poverty, protecting human dignity and reconciling divided peoples,” Leo said.
The pontiff said armed conflict and environmental destruction should not be treated as separate crises.
“Today, we are witnessing many crises and much human suffering. At the same time, it seems that the disruption to the harmonious balance of creation is accelerating,” he said, adding that these phenomena “are not unrelated; they are a single plea for healing and peace arising from a wounded world.”
The pope said the effects of war extend beyond the battlefield, damaging communities and ecosystems while creating conditions that can fuel further conflict.
“War also leaves behind social and ecological destruction that endures for generations,” he said.
Leo said armed conflict and environmental degradation can reinforce each other, damaging ecosystems, polluting air and water, threatening food security, and worsening poverty, inequality and social tensions that may lead to further conflict.
He said war damages “the whole fabric of life,” affecting individuals and communities as well as their relationships with the wider human family and creation.
“This is not only a political failure, but also a moral and spiritual one,” the pope said.
“Rooted in distorted desires and the misuse of human freedom and power, war stands as a counter-witness to the Gospel of peace,” he added.
Leo said violence, injustice, and ecological degradation cannot be addressed through structural reform alone.
He called for a “conversion of heart” and said the causes of conflict and the exploitation of creation include “the loss of a sense of limits, the desire for domination, the pursuit of immediate profit, and the inability to recognize the God-given dignity of each human person.”
The pope said Isaiah’s call to “beat swords into plowshares” applies not only to nations but also to individuals.
“What has been used for destruction can be redirected toward life, toward the care of the poor, the nourishment of the hungry, and the safeguarding of creation,” Leo said.
He linked that transformation to ecological conversion, citing Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’.
“In place of the weapons of war, the God of peace grants us the strength to heal, to reconcile and to build a civilization of love,” Leo said.
The pope also called on Christians to safeguard what he described as the “ecosystems” of creation, human relationships and the human heart.
“The true tools for building peace are not weapons of destruction, instead they are truth, dialogue, patience, goodness, justice, mercy, understanding, care and love,” he said.
The Season of Creation traces its roots to 1989, when Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I proclaimed Sept. 1 as a day of prayer for creation for the Orthodox Church.
The World Council of Churches later helped develop the observance into a season extending through Oct. 4.
In 2015, Pope Francis declared Sept. 1 the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and made the Catholic Church’s celebration of the Season of Creation official.
