*Advocates universal access to clean water, proper sanitation
The Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale Martins, has called on those in government to promote policies and practices which ensure that everyone has access to safe nourishing food and that the benefits of biodiversity are shared equitably, in a bid to sustain nature and the process of creation.
The widely respected clergy in his homily on Season of Creation 2026, also urged churches and mosques and other stakeholders to support greening projects and help to encourage and equip communities to grow their own food, while denouncing pollution in all forms.
In his spiritual reflections and shared messages on the 2026 Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi, which encourage the faithful to emulate the nature-loving saint’s virtues of poverty, humility, love, and peace, Archbishop Martins also called on governments, industries, farmers, and local authorities to protect water sources and act responsibly on the matter of the disposal of wastes.
St. Francis is the world’s foremost ecologist and that is why the Season of Creation comes to a grand close on the 4th of October his Feast Day marking the 800th year of his passing. The Jubilee Year runs from 1st of January 2026 to January 2027.
Pope Leo XIV emphasised that St. Francis’s message of peace, poverty, humility, and environmental care is relevant for a divided and uncertain world, and Catholics worldwide were urged to move beyond words, using the saint’s witness to address modern divisions, materialism, and lack of peace.
The calls of Pope Leo XIV and Archbishop Martins emphasise the need for Catholics, Christians, and all mankind to care for the environment, and to love and respect nature. A prayer for ‘our earth’ by Pope Francis appeared at the end of his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’. It is for all who believe in God who is the all-powerful Creator. Season of Creation is part of the Laudato Si programme.
Archbishop Martins, in his special message, said “Dear brothers and sisters, men and women of goodwill, lovers of God’s creation, we rejoice in Season of Creation 2026. This year marks the fifth edition, and it begins on the 1st of September, the World Day of Prayer for Creation, and goes on till October 4, the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. Every year, Christians around the world are invited to pause and remember a truth that is at the heart of our faith, that creation is a gift of God and we are called to take care of it.
“Christians across denominations come together in the Season of Creation in a worldwide ecumenical celebration dedicated to prayer, reflection, and action for the earth, our common home. The Season of Creation invites us to see the world, and indeed the earth, not simply as a space that we inhabit, but as a sacred gift to which we are deeply connected,” he said.
According to Archbishop Martins, “This vision is very well expressed in Laudato Si’, the gospel on the environment that was well proclaimed by the late Pope Francis, the gospel which calls us to recognise that the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are inseparable. It is within this spirit of prayer, communion, and ecological conversion that we enter the 2026 Season of Creation with the theme, Immersion in Living Water. The logo for the 2026 Season of Creation symbolises renewal and new life.
“We must advocate for universal access to clean water and proper sanitation in our communities, homes, schools, health care facilities, churches, and mosques. Environmental education. Parents, catechists, clerics, and faith communities should foster a holistic care for creation by fostering education of people, the sort that combines scientific knowledge with ethics, fostering healthy relationship with the environment, and offering spiritual formation for people.
“Drawing spiritual inspiration from creation. Through contemplation of God’s creation, we are called to move from the attitude of domination of the earth to respect and humility in our relationship with the environment. We must see a shift from mindless exploitation to care of the earth, and from short-term gain to long-term flourishing, thereby rethinking our values, economic systems, and priorities.
“We must recognise the fact that our own flourishing is intertwined with the healing of creation, and one cannot be separated from the other. Becoming part of the river, let us all overcome our fears and step into the waters of God’s love. Let us become part of the river of transformation, bringing healing and renewal to creation, bringing hope and blessing to the earth, our common home,” the clergy stated.
“Dear brothers and sisters, we invite you to become a blessing to God’s beautiful work of creation. Respect your environment, hold yourself accountable for the sustenance of the earth, and be a true steward of creation. I wish you all a happy 2026 season of creation”, he added.
“Let us all become Living Waters of God’s Peace, refreshing our wounded world,” Pope Leo XIV concluded.
