A New Mass Formulary for the Care of Creation

The Catholic Church has introduced a new liturgical formulary,  Mass for the Care of Creation, officially approved by Pope Leo XIV.

The official prayers and readings for the Mass for the Care of Creation can be accessed from the Dicastery’s website here: cultodivino.va. These provisional texts, currently available in multiple languages including English, will eventually be formally translated and approved by bishops’ conferences for incorporation into the Masses for Various Needs and Occasions in the Roman Missal. Until then, they provide a powerful liturgical resource for parishes, schools, and communities seeking to celebrate the Season of Creation with greater theological, spiritual, and ecological depth.

What It Is and Why It Matters

The Mass is intended to be used especially during the Season of Creation 2025, though parishes may celebrate it on other suitable occasions when a Mass formulary for a special need or occasion is required.

The official texts have been issued in Latin via a Decree by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Provisional translations into modern languages have also been released for interim use until translations by bishops’ conferences are fully prepared and approved.

What the New Formulary Contains

The formulary includes the full elements needed for a Mass: Entrance Antiphon, Collect, Prayer over the Offerings, Communion Antiphon, and Prayer after Communion, along with appropriate Biblical readings drawn for this special intention.

Proposed readings include Wisdom 13:1‑9 (on God’s revelation through creation), Colossians 1:15‑20 (on Christ as the image of the invisible God and through Him all things were made), and Gospel options that call for trust in divine providence using nature imagery (e.g. birds of the air and lilies of the field in Matthew).

Pope Leo XIV’s Inaugural Celebration

Pope Leo XIV celebrated the first Mass for the Care of Creation on 9 July 2025 at the Borgo Laudato Si’ (“Laudato Si’ Village”) at Castel Gandolfo with staff of the ecology‑education initiative. During the liturgy, parts were prayed in Latin, emphasizing the connection to tradition, while the setting (gardens, plants, natural surroundings) underscored its ecological theme.

Theological & Pastoral Implications for Australia

For Australian parishes, schools, Catholic organisations, and liturgical ministers, the Mass for Creation offers a concrete way to integrate care for creation into the worship life of the Church. It connects deeply with Laudato Si’ and Catholic Social Teaching, reminding us that our faith isn’t confined to spiritual or sacramental life but embraces our relationship with the earth and all living things.

Elements that could make this Mass especially meaningful in Australia include:

• Celebrating it in a natural setting or emphasising creation in the church environment (native flora, outdoor elements);
• Including prayers of the faithful that lament ecological destruction, invite repentance, and commit to stewardship;
• Choosing music and visuals that support the theme (hymns about creation, images of landscape and wildlife);
• Using this Mass during the Season of Creation (1 September to 4 October) or in connection with local environmental or community care initiatives.
• Incorporating elements such as smoking ceremonies, use of native flora, or symbolic actions drawn from Australian Indigenous spirituality (in dialogue with local Elders and Church guidelines) could enrich the celebration. These gestures affirm that care for creation is not a new concern, but one already embedded in the lived experience and faith of Australia’s First Nations Christians.

Because this new formulary has ecclesial, liturgical, and ecological significance, it invites ongoing reflection and catechesis both to deepen understanding of creation theology and to foster ecological conversion.