The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines enjoins the faithful to observe the Season of Creation to deepen their awareness and unity with all of God’s creations.
In a message for the Season of Creation which begins on Sunday, Sept. 1, CBCP president Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David urged the faithful “to pray and respond to the cry of creation” amid the climate crisis around the world.
“May I remind you once again to observe our annual Christian celebration of the Season of Creation. This is an occasion for us to pray and respond together to the cry of creation, not just with fellow Catholics and fellow Christians, but with all people of goodwill,” the Church leader said.
The annual observance of the Season of Creation begins on Sept. 1 and ends on Oct. 4, on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment.
In 2020, the Church extended the observance to the second Sunday of October to coincide with Indigenous Peoples Sunday to highlight the contributions of Indigenous communities in the preservation of the environment.
This year, the Season of Creation ends on Oct. 13.
“Who else are in the best position to teach us of the basic interconnectedness of all creatures but our indigenous peoples,” stressed Bishop David.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “To Hope and Act with Creation.”
“Let us sustain our reflection on that beautiful passage where the Holy Apostle speaks about all creation groaning in labor pains and reminds us that we ourselves are already enjoying the ‘first fruits’ of the Spirit and are therefore also groaning within ourselves as we await the fullness of God’s glory, which is about to be revealed in creation,”said Bishop David.
Meanwhile, the Laudato Si’ Movement Philippines (LSMP) is inviting the public to join the Ecumenical Walk for Creation 2024 as part of the observance of the Season of Creation.
The Ecumenical Walk will be held on Monday, Sept. 2, from 4 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. at the St. Andrew’s Theological Seminary in Quezon City.