HONG KONG (SE): Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., celebrated a special outdoor thanksgiving Mass for the Season of Creation on October 3, on the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. The faithful gathered at the sports ground lawn of Wah Yan College, Kowloon, were reminded that God’s salvation reaches beyond humanity to embrace the whole of Creation. The theme was the harmonious coexistence of all creation.
The Diocesan Commission for Integral Human Development organised the event with several parish environmental groups. Participants were asked to bring their own picnic mats to sit on and reusable water bottles to cut down on single-use plastics.
At the start of the liturgy, Cardinal Stephen sprinkled the congregation with holy water. The rite symbolised cleansing from sin, dying and rising with Christ, and the renewal of their commitment as guardians of our common home.
God’s salvation is not meant for human beings alone, but to save the whole of Creation and redeem all things
Father Lo
Delivering the homily, Father Ignatius Lo King-ip cited Isaiah 2:4: “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” Pope Leo XIV chose this verse as the theme of his message for the 2026 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
The World Day falls on September 1 and opens the Season of Creation, and runs until October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
Father Lo said that peace and ecological renewal begins in the human heart. The faithful, he said, must go beyond words of prayer and lay down the weapons of greed and indifference towards the environment. They should turn those habits into tools that nourish the earth.
“God’s salvation is not meant for human beings alone, but to save the whole of Creation and redeem all things,” Father Lo said, reflecting on John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” Human beings, he said, are therefore no longer masters of nature but part of a community of life. Nature is neither a tool for economic gain nor a battlefield for exploitation.
Father Lo called for practical, everyday steps towards “ecological conversion,” such as using air conditioning sparingly and saving water. “Reducing plastic use, cherishing drinking water, and saving energy are not merely environmental actions. They are acts of love for God’s creation and a way to preserve the cosmic peace won by Christ on the cross,” he said.
Turning up the air conditioning to full power while wearing a windbreaker is one thing, but perhaps an even bigger sin is running the air conditioner on high just to eat hot pot
Cardinal Stephen
Cardinal Stephen echoed the call for a change of lifestyle and pointed to some contradictions in daily life. “Turning up the air conditioning to full power while wearing a windbreaker is one thing, but perhaps an even bigger sin is running the air conditioner on high just to eat hot pot,” the cardinal remarked, encouraging the faithful to be aware of their habits and to avoid bottled water at church gatherings.
The Prayers of the Faithful were offered for the universal Church, for human efforts to care for creation, for local parishes, and for the United Nations Climate Change Conference [COP31] which will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20. The Mass ended with a commissioning rite for members of parish eco-groups, sending them out to put their faith into concrete action.
Reina Lau, leader of the environmental group at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, said upcoming plans included a pilgrimage that began on October 6 as part of the St. Francis 800th anniversary celebrations. She admitted that promoting sustainability remains difficult because it often clashes with modern demands for convenience. That, she said, makes it all the more important for parishes to encourage eco-friendly habits.
