Pope Francis, in his message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in September 2016, said that the seven corporal and spiritual works of mercy can now include an eighth one: ‘care for our common home,’ the Earth and the whole of creation. Entitled Show mercy to our common home,’ his message states that the first step in this process of ecological conversion is an examination of conscience. This involves “gratitude and gratuitousness, are cognition that the world is God’s loving gift, and that we are called quietly to imitate his generosity in self-sacrifice and good works…
It also entails a loving awareness that we are not disconnected from the rest of creation but joined in a splendid universal communion…”Inasmuch as we all generate small ecological damage,” we are called to acknowledge “our contribution, smaller or greater, to the disfigurement and destruction of creation…” Then he directs us to change
our ways: “Examining our consciences, repentance and confession to our Father who is rich in mercy lead to a firm purpose of amendment. This, in turn, must translate into concrete ways of thinking and acting that are more respectful of creation.”
