By Christopher Wells
Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for September 2025 is for “our relationship with all of creation.
In this month’s Pope Video, the Holy Father invites us to pray that “inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.”
The prayer that follows emphasizes God’s love for all of creation, noting that “nothing exists outside” of His “tenderness” and recalling God’s care for “even the simplest or shortest life.” “Like St Francis of Assisi, today we too want to say, ‘Praised be You, my Lord” – alluding, too, to Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on the care of creation which begins with those very words.
Pope Leo’s prayer goes on speak of “the beauty of creation” as a revelation of God “as the source of goodness,” and asks Him to “open our eyes to recognize you, learning from the mystery of your closeness to all creation that the world is infinitely more than a problem to solve.” Instead, the Pope says, “It is a mystery to be contemplated with gratitude.”
The Holy Father concludes his prayer with a plea to God to “help us discover Your presence in all creation, so that, in fully recognizing it, we may feel and know ourselves to be responsible for our common home where You invite us to care for, respect, and protect life in all its forms and possibilities.”
Living a moment of gratitude
In a press release accompanying the prayer, the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network – which is responsible for preparing each month’s intention – notes that “the video comes out within the context of the Season of Creation, an ecumenical period from Sep 1 to Oct 4 (the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi) that unites Christians from various denominations in prayer and action for the care of the earth.”
This year’s Season of Creation takes place as the Church marks both the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis’ “Canticle of Creation” and the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato sí.
“The Jubilee of Hope and the 10th anniversary of the Encyclical Laudato Si’ invite us to live a moment of gratitude, commitment to and care for our common home,” says Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Development, which supported the production of this month’s Pope Video.
An interconnected world
Commenting on this month’s intention, the International Director of the Prayer Netword, Father Cristóbal Fones, S.J., explains that this month’s prayer intention “reminds us how interconnected our world is. Our well-being cannot be separated from other creatures living on earth, or from the ‘state of health’ of our planet.”
“This month,” Father Fones continues, “the Pope invites us to reflect on how our actions affect nature, God’s work, and to seek ways of living that foster the restoration and natural balance and harmony between human beings and the environment. In the midst of such a competitive, hectic world, dominated by consumerism, a large part of humanity deeply longs to live well, closer to and more respectful of nature – a style of life that would allow us to contemplate it in an attentive silence that leads to an encounter with ourselves, with God and with others.” – Vatican News
