(LifeSiteNews) — The Vatican released the texts for the new votive Mass “for the care of creation” Thursday and announced that Pope Leo XIV will use the new prayers for a private Mass with a group at Castel Gandolfo next week.
At 10 a.m. Rome time on July 3, the Holy See Press Office published a decree “on the formulary and Biblical readings for the Mass for the Care of Creation” – signed by the prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Cardinal Arthur Roche, and his secretary Archbishop Vittorio Viola, OFM – and held a press conference for the release of the same.
The new formulary for the Mass “pro custodia creationis,” approved by Pope Leo XIV, has been added to the Masses “pro variis necessitatibus vel ad diversa,” or votive Masses, of the Roman Missal.
READ: Vatican announces new votive Mass ‘for the care of creation’
According to the decree, and making reference to Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato si’ (LS), it was “considered appropriate” by the dicastery to institute the new Mass formulary since “it is evident that the work of creation is seriously threatened because of the irresponsible use and abuse of the goods God has endowed to our care (cf. Laudato si’ n. 2).”
Vatican News announced Thursday that Pope Leo XIV “will celebrate the first ‘Mass for the Care of Creation’” on July 9 in a private occasion with the staff of the “Borgo Laudato Sì’,” an educational group established by Pope Francis at Castel Gandolfo to promote “ecological conversion,” according to his encyclical letter.
The formulary includes a new Introit, Collect, Secret, Communion antiphon, and Postcommunion, as well as specially selected lections for the readings, Gospel, Alleluia versicle, and Psalms:
- Introit: “Cæli enárrant glóriam Dei, et ópera mánuum eius annúntiat firmaméntum.” – The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of His hands.
- Collect: “Pater, qui in Christo, primogénito omnis creatúræ, univérsa ad exsisténtiam vocásti, præsta, quǽsumus, ut, dóciles Spíritus tui spiráculo vitæ, ópera mánuum tuárum in caritáte custodiámus. Per Dóminum.” – Father, who in Christ the firstborn of all creation, called all things into existence, grant, we beseech thee, that, docile to the breath of thy Spirit, we may preserve the works of thy hands in charity. Through the Lord.
- Secret: “Súscipe, Pater, hos fructus terræ nostrarúmque mánuum: pérfice in eis opus creatiónis tuæ ut, a Spíritu Sancto transformáti, cibus et potus vitæ ætérnæ pro nobis fiant. Per Christum.” – Receive, Father, these fruits of the earth and of our hands: complete in them the work of your creation so that, transformed by the Holy Spirit, they may become for us the food and drink of eternal life. Through Christ.
- Communion antiphon: “Vidérunt omnes términi terræ salutáre Dei nostri.” – All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
- Postcommunion: “Sacraméntum unitátis quod accépimus, Pater, communiónem tecum áugeat fratribúsque ut, novos cælos et terram novam exspectántes, conveniénter una cum ómnibus creatúris vívere discámus. Per Christum.” – May the sacrament of unity that we have received, O Father, increase our communion with you and our brothers and sisters, so that, awaiting the new heavens and the new earth, we may learn to live in harmony with all creatures. Through Christ.
- Old Testament reading: Wisdom 13: 1-9
- New Testament reading: Colossians 1:15-20
- Responsorial Psalm: Ps 18:2-3, 4-5; Ps 103:1-2a, 5-6, 10 and 12, 24 and 35c
- Alleluia: Ps 104: 24; 1 Chronicles 29: 11d, 12b
- Gospel: Matthew 6: 24-34; Matthew 8: 23-27
Presenting the new Mass texts were Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, OFM, secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Speaking at the Thursday morning press conference, Viola explained the rationale behind the choice of prayers for the Mass, referencing heavily from Pope Francis and his encyclical Laudato si’ and the latterly published apostolic exhortation, Laudate Deum, “On the climate crisis.”
Viola said the new votive Mass “takes up some of the main positions contained in LS and expresses them in the form of a prayer within the theological framework that the encyclical revives.”
As an example, the prelate noted that the Offertory prayer “takes up and amplifies the words of the presentation of the gifts in a manner that encapsulates the theological concepts that inspire our liturgical contemplation of creation,” stating, “the entire history of salvation, of which creation is the foundation and beginning, culminates in the Lord’s Passover; the liturgy makes the paschal mystery present in a sacramental manner, renders it real and reveals its efficacy; in continuity with the logic of the Incarnation, what God has created and the work of human hands (bread, wine, oil, water…) reach their full meaning in the celebratory action; their nobility demands our contemplative gaze on created things, which changes our relationship with them.”
Likewise, Viola said that in the lections for the “Mass for the care of creation” the readings “may be seen as presenting a ‘challenge’ and an opportunity to commit to practicing the corrected hermeneutics of biblical texts” which he said were “emphasized” by Pope Francis in Laudato si’.
“Without such correction,” Viola said, “one risks supporting positions that are inconsistent with the truth of Revelation and holding, for example, the attitude that LS 69 defines as ‘distorted anthropocentrism.’”
Archbishop Czerny added that the new formulary came “in response to requests suggested by Laudato si’.” He stated that, for “the past decades” the Church has “continually affirmed the ‘mutual responsibility between human beings and nature’ (LS 67),” and asked that the new Mass prayers might “help us to learn how to care” for creation which “is always already present in the Catholic liturgy.”
To this end, the prelate stated his hope that the Mass acts as a call “to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us – not only in daily choices and public policies, but also in our prayer, our worship, and our way of living in the world.”
“With this Mass,” Czerny stated, “the Church is offering liturgical, spiritual, and communal support for the care we all need to exercise of nature, our common home. Such service is indeed a great act of faith, hope, and charity.”
Concluding, Viola said Mass texts “are a good antidote against a certain reading of LS that risks reducing the depth of its content to a ‘false or superficial ecology’ (LS 59) far removed from that ‘integral ecology’ amply described and promoted in the encyclical (cf. LS chap. IV).”
