In his message for the 2025 World Day of Prayer for Creation, Pope Leo XIV calls Christians to unite under the theme “Seeds of Peace and Hope.” He reminds us that “together with prayer, determination and concrete actions are necessary if this ‘caress of God’ is to become visible to our world.” This Season of Creation, he urges, is more than a celebration—it is a summons to justice, ecological conversion, and solidarity with suffering creation.
Echoing Pope Francis’s call in Laudato Si’ that “everything is related,” this season invites us into a deeper spirituality of connection—one rooted in ancient wisdom across all cultures and grounded in the Christian scriptures and traditions, and yet urgently prophetic for our time. Caring for the earth cannot be separated from caring for the poor, because the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are one and the same.
Ubuntu and the Web of Life
This vision is not new. Long before Laudato Si’, African and indigenous traditions carried a wisdom of integral ecology. The African ethic of ubuntu proclaims: “I am because we are.” The Mayan insight Lak’ech Ala K’in says: “I am another you. If I harm you, I harm myself.” These traditions affirm that human life and the life of the earth are bound together in a sacred web of relationships.
Integral ecology is, therefore, not just about environmental management. It is a regenerative ethic of care for human and cosmic flourishing that joins spirituality, justice, and human dignity. It invites us to see creation not as raw material to exploit but as a community to whom we belong.
Beauty, Vulnerability, and Conversion
At the heart of this vision lies a spirituality of beauty and vulnerability. Hans Urs von Balthasar lamented that modernity suffers from an “eclipse of beauty.” We see this ugliness in polluted waters, stripped forests, displaced peoples—and in the violence of wars. From Gaza to Ukraine, today’s wars are not only human tragedies but, in the African worldview, mortal injuries to the earth itself, wounds that tear apart our common home.
Yet beauty remains a force of hope. It is seen in a preserved tree, a river restored, or a community that stands together in solidarity. Ecological conversion, likewise, calls us to humility. God’s vulnerability in the Incarnation and on the Cross reveals that true strength lies in bending down to serve. To embrace our fragility is not weakness but communion—a way of living as friends of the poor and companions of creation.
A Cry from Africa
For Africa and much of the Global South, climate change is a daily reality. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, a pastoralist leader from Chad, describes it clearly:
“Coming from pastoral communities where our life depends on nature, we are living climate change in our daily life. … When we don’t have enough rain, it impacts food insecurity, creates conflict, and causes displacement.”
Her words remind us that environmental destruction is inseparable from human suffering. It deepens poverty, fuels conflict, and erodes dignity.
Empty Promises and the Demand for Justice
At COP27, world leaders pledged to create a fund for “loss and damage” to help vulnerable countries. But like earlier commitments, it remains an empty bank account. Meanwhile, carbon emissions rise, and fossil fuel interests prevail. The poorest, who contribute least to the crisis, continue to pay the highest price.
This injustice demands a prophetic response. The Church in Africa, together with theologians and pastors worldwide, must step forward as advocates. Advocacy means giving voice to the voiceless, mobilizing communities, and pressing governments and corporations to place people and planet above profit. It means drawing on the assets of local communities—their resilience, traditions, and ecological wisdom—to build hope from the ground up.
Hope in Action
The Season of Creation is not a time for despair but for prophetic hope. Every tree planted, every river protected, every policy challenged matters. The African Church, enriched by the ethics of ubuntu and strengthened by its vibrant youth whose environmental activism and pragmatic solidarity with the earth our common home inspire hope for the future, has a special role to play in showing that ecological conversion is possible.
Our tasks are urgent but clear and have been articulated in Pillar 5 of the Church in Africa’s Vision, 2025–2050, adopted by the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM):
- Integrate care for creation into all pastoral and evangelizing efforts.
- Promote Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum in seminary formation and education.
- Encourage priests and lay leaders to preach about ecological conversion.
- Embrace ecological conversion in personal and institutional life.
- Center beauty, solidarity, and humility in our spirituality.
- Advocate boldly for climate justice and accountability.
- Celebrate September as the Season of Creation with liturgies, catechesis, tree planting, environmental clean-ups, and eco-spiritual traditions.
Conclusion: Sowing Seeds of Hope for a New Future
Pope Leo XIV has called us to sow seeds of peace and hope. Integral ecology shows us how those seeds can grow—through justice, beauty, Gospel non-violence, respect for human dignity, and solidarity with the earth. If we choose life over greed, vulnerability over domination, and hope over despair, we will not only heal creation but also renew ourselves.
The future of our common home depends on the choices we make today. May this Season of Creation find us working together—across cultures, faiths, and nations—to heal divisions, overcome hatred, dismantle unjust hierarchies, and build a new world where humanity and creation flourish together in peace, love, and hope—Stan Chu Ilo
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