From 1 September to 4 October, Christians all over the world celebrate the Season of Creation, as
well as the Day of Creation on 1 September. Following the tradition from previous years, in CEC
and CCEE, we have taken advantage of this occasion and have encouraged our Member Churches
in Europe to acknowledge these days to celebrate the richness of our faith as an expression to
protect our common home.
The values of Season of Creation go back to the roots of the Christian faith. Creation is a gift of God
for mankind and for all living beings. It is therefore our responsibility to protect it as good and
reliable stewards, and as faithful servants of God. “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the
world, and those who live in it,” (Psalm 24:1).
Pope Francis in the encyclical Laudato Si’ underlined that “the urgent challenge to protect our
common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable
and integral development.” At the same time, he strongly appealed “for a new dialogue about how
we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since
the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.”
Similarly, one of the significant theologians of our era Jurgen Moltmann has made it clear that
“today the theological adversary is the nihilism practiced in our dealings with nature” and called
for “a discernment of the God, who is present in creation through his Holy Spirit,” a discernment that “can bring men and women to reconciliation and peace with nature.”
Celebrating the Day of Creation and the Season of Creation has a significant ecumenical dimension.
While celebrating these days, we look back and give thanks for the proposal of the late Ecumenical
Patriarch Dimitrios I in 1989. Since that time, the idea of the Season of Creation and its ecumenical
spirit has been further confirmed by the European Ecumenical Assemblies organised jointly by
CEC and CCEE in Basel 1989, Graz 1997 and Sibiu 2007.
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed how deeply the globe is interconnected. We realised
more than ever that we are not isolated from each other and that conditions related to human
health and well-being are fragile. Impact of the pandemic forces us to take seriously the need for
vigilance and the need for conditions of sustainable life throughout the earth. This is even more
important when considering the environmental devastation and the threat of climate change.
We invite you to celebrate the Season of Creation this year under the heading of Jubilee for the
Earth. The concept of Jubilee is rooted in the Bible and underlines that there must exist a just and
sustainable balance between social, economic and ecological realities. The lesson from the biblical
concept of jubilee points us towards the need to restore balance in the very systems of life,
affirming the need for equality, justice and sustainability and confirming the need for a prophetic
voice in defence of our common home.
We invite all of the shepherds and European Christians, the parishes, church communities and
every person of good will to pay attention to the Season of Creation and to live it with an
ecumenical spirit, united in prayer and action.
Rev. Christian Krieger H. Em. Card. Angelo Bagnasco
President of CEC President of CCEE
