A joint statement from the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) marks the 2025 Season of Creation, inviting prayer and action for our common home, planet Earth.
Their call is entitled “Peace with Creation” as Christians worldwide prepare to observe the Season of Creation, held from 1 September to 4 October.
The joint statement is signed by Archbishop Nikitas of Thyateira and Great Britain, CEC President, and Archbishop Gintaras Grušas, CCEE President.
The document refers to Prophet Isaiah’s vision of a land of peace and urge communities to embrace a sober life, respecting the gifts of creation while rejecting the exploitation of people and of natural resources.
A daily commitment
“Seeking peace with creation is not an abstract ideal but a daily commitment”, the presidents state, “a call to live in a way that honours the giver of life”.
They add: “Our world can hardly be seen as a garden of peace nowadays. Yet, like Isaiah, we believe that returning to a way of life rooted in trust and devotion to God can offer an alternative to catastrophe”.
The joint statement also refers to the upcoming United Nations COP30 Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil.
The presidents express hope that leaders will place the needs of the poor and vulnerable at the heart of climate action and see the climate crisis as an opportunity to reconfigure international relations toward the common good.
The Season of Creation is a period of prayer, reflection and action by Christians around the world, dedicated to protecting the environment and taking responsibility for God’s creation.
It is at the initiative of Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I, who in 1989 established the Day of Prayer for the Environment, marked annually in the Church on September 1.
Read the whole statement in English here.
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