Monday 4 October was the feast of St Francis of Assisi; it was also the last day of the ecumenical Season of Creation 2021. On that day, at the parish of St Francis of Assisi, Mannofield, Aberdeen, Catholics from Scotland’s most northern diocese gathered to pray for the earth, our common home, for the success of COP26 in Glasgow, and for the good of the whole creation.
Bishop Hugh Gilbert OSB led the powerful and moving service which included hymns, reflections, prayers, and scripture readings, as well as a penitential rite and act of commitment. The service emphasised the duty and obligation of Catholics to love and cherish the earth, which they are to acknowledge as a gift from God to care for and till.
At the welcome and introduction I felt privileged to reflect on how appropriate it was to hold the service on the feast day of St Francis of Assisi, famed for his great love of the natural world, and also to note the prominence of the environment in the teaching of Pope Francis, with his encyclical Laudato Si' giving vital encouragement to Catholics in their work for a just and green world.
After a searching penitential rite which highlighted ways in which we fall short in our relationships with nature and with others, the scripture reading from Colossians1 emphasised Christ’s headship of all creation; the subsequent Gospel from Mark 4 stressed Jesus’ easy familiarity with the natural world in the language of two parables and, dramatically, his power over nature itself in the calming of the storm. The interlude of Psalm 148 called for all creation to praise the Lord.
Bishop Hugh gave a personal and thought-provoking homily which brought together many of the themes of the evening. He observed that on this day Pope Francis, along with faith leaders and scientists, made a joint appeal at the Vatican for the international community to show greater ambition at COP26. The bishop recognised that the environmental cause engaged many people, and that Christians shared this concern, but the concern of Christians was even deeper due to their faith. He told those in attendance that Laudato Si’ was appreciated by many even outwith the Church as a definitive 21st century statement on the ecological crisis.
Referencing Genesis, Bishop Hugh recalled that God placed man in a garden to love and care for it; in a comparable way, we must hold dear the gift of creation. Remembering lessons from his Benedictine life at Pluscarden Abbey, where the brothers cherished humble material goods, the bishop stressed that everything is a gift from God our Father. The reading from Colossians 1 spoke of Christ as the firstborn of all creation: he is in creation and all things hold together in him. The beauty and reality of this vision can inspire the Catholic commitment to the environment. As Pope Francis writes in Laudato Si’, ‘Everything is connected.’
Jill Kent, Chair of Justice and Peace Scotland, read the intercessions which included calls for the gift of ‘ecological conversion’ and for those with authority who will gather for COP26 to commit to the ‘bold action’ that our planet and its people need in the face of climate breakdown.
Towards the end of the event, the people recited the beautiful Canticle of St Francis and, together, made a commitment to respect the earth, one another, and our fellow creatures that live on the earth, while being grateful for the beauty and goodness that surrounds us. In a profound and memorable way, the prayer service in preparation for COP26 held in the Aberdeen parish of St Francis of Assisi, Mannofield, brought home to those present the importance of care for creation in the Christian’s journey of faith.
Kenneth Sadler
Coordinator, St Mary’s Cathedral Justice and Peace Group
05 October 2021