Pope Leo XIV Urges Ecological Conversion: “It Is Not Yet Too Late”

Pope Leo XIV Urges Ecological Conversion: “It Is Not Yet Too Late”

ByRaju Hasmukh
September 2, 2026

Pope Leo XIV (Credit Vatican Media)

Pope Leo XIV calls for ecological conversion, urging Christians to care for creation, aid the poor, and transform destruction into life.

News Room (September 2, 2026, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV has called on Christians worldwide to embrace an “authentic ecological conversion,” urging believers to renew their commitment to caring for creation, supporting the poor, and restoring harmony within the natural world.


Speaking during a Mass for the Care of Creation in the Garden of the Madonnina del Borgo Laudato Si’, located within the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, the Pope marked the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation by reflecting on humanity’s relationship with the environment and its Creator. His homily also inaugurated the annual Season of Creation, a five-week period dedicated to prayer, reflection, and action for the protection of the Earth.

Drawing from the liturgical readings, Pope Leo emphasized that creation itself serves as a pathway to God. Referencing the Book of Wisdom, he encouraged the faithful to move beyond simple admiration of nature’s beauty and power and instead recognize the Creator behind it.

He noted that natural phenomena such as fire, wind, flowing water, and the stars evoke wonder, but their deepest significance lies in pointing humanity toward God. Likewise, he highlighted Psalm 18, which proclaims that the heavens and the firmament reveal the glory and handiwork of the Creator.

The Pope also reflected on a passage from the Gospel of Matthew, which speaks of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. He said these examples reveal not only the beauty of creation but also God’s special concern for humanity. If God provides for plants and animals with such care, he explained, believers can trust in the divine attention given to human needs.

Set amid the natural surroundings of Castel Gandolfo’s gardens, the celebration underscored the Pope’s invitation to contemplation. He encouraged people to step back from the pace and noise of modern life in order to experience the harmony of creation more deeply.

According to Pope Leo, this practice of contemplation is not simply an appreciation of nature but the first step toward a profound spiritual transformation. He described it as an “authentic ecological conversion,” in which an encounter with Jesus Christ becomes evident in the way individuals relate to the world around them.

Tech billionaire Peter Thiel takes on popes, delves into end-times theology

Peter Thiel speaks with attendees at the 2022 Converge Tech Summit in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Wikimedia Commons/Gage Skidmore)

by Brian Fraga

Staff Reporter

July 15, 2026

In the last two weeks, the billionaire venture tech capitalist Peter Thiel has accused Pope Leo XIV of being a Chinese communist agent and insinuated in the pages of a prominent interreligious journal that Pope Francis was an Antichrist figure.

Thiel, a co-founder of Palantir and PayPal who has risen to prominence as a conservative political activist, has articulated an apocalyptic worldview that he says is consistent with traditional Christian theology but that his critics say is more aligned with Cold War-era geopolitics.

His interest in end times theology was even lampooned in the recently completed 28th season of "South Park," where Thiel was portrayed as a biblical prophecy expert, equipped with his own theme song, who speaks on the end of days to an elementary school assembly.

Thiel's stated concerns that the Antichrist will be manifested by a one-world government or by Luddites who aim to stop or slow technological progress was a subtext in several provocative comments he made at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado on June 30.

As reported by CNN, Thiel delivered a series of dire warnings and predictions about the future of artificial intelligence and the West, even accusing Pope Leo XIV of inadvertently serving as a "Chinese communist agent" because of the pontiff's calls for AI to be regulated.

According to Thiel's logic, while Leo's recent encyclical on artificial intelligence, Magnifica Humanitas, may influence American policymakers, it is unlikely that Chinese leaders will heed the document's warnings.

Thiel argued that the encyclical threatens to slow down only one side of the "race between the U.S. and China" to advance AI. Leo, Thiel surmised, is thus "working for the Chinese Communists." CNN reported that the Aspen audience responded with laughter.

While it garnered chuckles, Thiel's comments about Leo revealed a Cold War mentality taken to a new intense level, said Massimo Faggioli, a theologian and church historian at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.

The Vatican Foreign Minister in Russia: "This War Must End"

 

Matthew McConaughey drops new hint about politics after meeting Pope Leo XIV Story by Eren Waris

Story by Eren Waris

Matthew McConaughey drops new hint about politics after meeting Pope Leo XIV

Matthew McConaughey drops new hint about politics after meeting Pope Leo XIV

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Actor Matthew McConaughey said he could see himself “adding to or working on” a constitution built around common ground among religions.

McConaughey, who calls himself an aggressively centrist Christian, has previously been asked about running for office, including governor of his home state.

The comments came in a USA TODAY interview, published on Saturday, August 15, after his meeting with Pope Leo XIV in Vatican City.

Actors Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey speak onstage at Nokia Theatre LA Live on August 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Matthew McConaughey says religion could inform politics

McConaughey said he sees common ground among religions as something that could inform a political system.

“There’s still a constitution out there to be written that all religions could agree on,” he told USA TODAY. “There's so much commonality.”

He said he was interested in the possibility of “adding to or working on” such a constitution, calling it “a great thing to share.”

Pope Leo XIV waves as he leaves after his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, June 3, 2026 (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

McConaughey also drew a line between religious teachings and the separation of church and state.

“Even though I agree with the separation of church and state, the values of those should bleed down into the values of any political system,” he said.

A Biblical Response to Fear-Based End Times Hysteria

Bible Megaphone

Aug 14, 2026  

Is the Papacy the Antichrist? What does the Bible actually say about the Pope, Daniel 7, Revelation 13, the little horn, and end-time prophecy?

In this Bible study, we examine Scripture and history to explore the prophetic characteristics of Daniel’s “little horn,” the beast of Revelation 13, the rise of the papacy, and the historic Protestant interpretation of these prophecies. We also look at Bible prophecy, deception, worship, the mark of the beast, and the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14.

Most importantly, this study points beyond fear and speculation to Jesus Christ, the true center of Bible prophecy. Open your Bible, examine the evidence, and decide what Scripture teaches.

Matthew McConaughey Meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican

Matthew McConaughey Meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican

TODAY

Aug 6, 2026

Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey and his wife, Camila Alves, were greeted by Pope Leo XIV during his weekly general audience at St. Peter’s Basilica. Cameras captured the trio briefly chatting during their time together. 

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Matthew McConaughey Compares Meeting Pope Leo XIV to Writing an Oscars Speech | The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Aug 13, 2026
Matthew McConaughey talks about meeting Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, getting a movie theater named after him and filming his new movie The Rivals of Amziah King.

The Pope calls for protection and welcome for migrant and refugee minors: "Every child possesses infinite dignity"

The Pope calls for protection and welcome for migrant and refugee minors: "Every child possesses infinite dignity"

GRAFCAN5123. LA LAGUNA (TENERIFE), 12/06/2026.- El papa León XIV saluda a varios niños durante su visita este viernes al centro de primera acogida 'Las Raíces' de Tenerife. EFE/ Ramón De La Rocha

by INFOVATICANA | August 14, 2026


Pope Leo XIV has focused his message for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees on migrant and refugee minors, which the Church will celebrate on September 27 under the theme “Even one of these little ones.” The Pontiff warns of the special vulnerability of children affected by war, poverty, violence, trafficking, exploitation, and forced displacement, and calls for action both in countries of origin, to combat the causes that force them to leave, and in transit and destination countries, where he urges the guarantee of their protection and welcome.

In the message, dated August 11 and published this Friday by the Holy See, Leo XIV insists that “every child, every human being, possesses infinite dignity” and urges Christian communities to integrate migrants and refugees “as full members of the ecclesial family.” The Pope also calls on civil institutions to promote family reunification and avoid traumatic separations, and maintains that the debate must shift from “the mere management of migratory flows” to the protection of human rights. Among the fundamental rights of minors, he explicitly mentions “life, education, and a standard of living that allows them to grow and develop fully.”

Below is the full message of Leo XIV:

Dear brothers and sisters:

Year after year, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees invites us to focus our attention on different aspects of the complex migratory phenomenon. In this 112th World Day, the theme “Even one of these little ones” calls us to pay attention to minors directly affected by the experience of migration and flight, to concern for them, and to the Lord’s promise that whoever “welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Mk 9:37).

Pope Leo hat giveaway turns White Sox game into the church of baseball

CHICAGO (RNS) — After three terrible years, the White Sox are in the midst of a revival — with good young players and perhaps a little divine intervention. The team's best-known fan is Pope Leo XIV.

White Sox fans cheer while wearing Pope hats during "Pope Night," Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Chicago. (Photo courtesy of the Chicago White Sox)

Bob Smietana

August 12, 2026 at 1:17 p.m. ET

CHICAGO (RNS) — On a hot August night on the South Side of Chicago, Rate Field, home of the White Sox, turned into a church of baseball, filled to capacity with true believers who sang, passed the peace, cheered on a celebrity nun and, of course, wore their pope hats.

Those hats, emblazoned with the Sox logo, were given to every fan who entered the park on Tuesday (Aug. 11). It was, according to team officials, the biggest promotional giveaway in White Sox history, with more than 40,000 pope hats given away. The night was a testimony to the resurgent White Sox, who appear to be playoff-bound after three years of losing 100 games a season, as well as to the appeal of Pope Leo XIV, a longtime fan of the team and Chicago native.

“It doesn’t matter your religion or your denomination,” said Brooks Boyer, chief revenue and marketing officer for the White Sox. “Everyone respects the pope. For us, it’s obviously fun that he is a White Sox fan.”

As soon as the gate opened, the park was flooded with fans, young and old, some with jerseys with the pope’s name on the back, many already wearing their pope hats. They stood in line for hot dogs or beers, where some greeted Sister Mary Jo Sobieck of the Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois, who was grabbing a hot dog before throwing out the first pitch.

Jaime Garcia and his wife were decked out in Sox garb and their new pope hats. Garcia, who is from the Back of the Yards neighborhood on Chicago’s southwest side, grew up both Catholic and a Sox fan. He got off work early to get to the game.

Jaime Garcia attends the White Sox’s “Pope Night,” Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Chicago. (RNS photo/Bob Smietana)

“Got to get the hat,” he said. “Got to represent.”

Ian Paisley denounces Pope John Paul II as antichrist in 1988

 

Pope Leo's Three Urgent Appeals in One Angelus

 Pope Leo's Three Urgent Appeals in One Angelus

ROME REPORTS in English

Jul 27, 2026 

Nearing the end of his summer vacation, Pope Leo XIV continues to draw thousands of pilgrims to pray the Angelus.

This Sunday, the Pope cautioned that a culture of consumerism fuels endless desires that are never satisfied, making it harder to recognize what truly matters.

Pope appoints new Holy See Permanent Observer to UN in New York

Archbishop Christophe El-Kassis
Vatican

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis as the Holy See's new Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York, where he will represent the Holy See at the UN headquarters.


Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis as the Holy See's new Permanent Observer to the United Nations (UN) in New York.

The appointment was announced on Saturday by the Holy See Press Office.

Lebanese-born Archbishop El-Kassis, Titular Archbishop of Roselle, has until now served as Apostolic Nuncio to the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, as well as Apostolic Delegate to the Arabian Peninsula.

He was ordained in 1994, and he entered the Holy See diplomatic service in 2000, working in Indonesia, Sudan, Turkey, and the Secretariat of State.

The Holy See maintains Permanent Observer status at the United Nations, enabling it to participate in the work of the General Assembly and other UN bodies.

Source

MOMENTS: Pope Leo Shares Lunch With Vulnerable People, Says He Came With 'Hunger for Justice'

 

Ancestry Discovers Pope Leo XIV’s Sicilian Roots

Ancestry Discovers Pope Leo XIV’s Sicilian Roots

Kelly Barbano-Bodami - Research Manager, Ancestry ProGenealogists | Kyle J. Betit - Sr. Genealogist, Ancestry ProGenealogists | Lisa Elzey - Sr. Story Producer, Ancestry

15 May 2025

Key Takeaways

• Pope Leo XIV’s paternal line traces to Milazzo, Sicily, where his grandfather was born Salvatore Giovanni Gaetano Riggitano.
• An Alien Registration record revealed his grandfather’s original name, birthplace, and that he never naturalized as a U.S. citizen.
• His Sicilian ancestors were lower-middle to middle-class, holding respected community positions like `Usciere comunale` and `trafficante` (merchant).

As the white smoke cleared and a new Pontiff emerged, questions about his family history echoed across the globe. Where did his ancestors walk? What stories shaped his lineage? Now, through meticulous research, Ancestry has uncovered compelling documents that trace the paternal line of Robert Prevost, now known to the world as Pope Leo XIV.

 
Finding the True Origins of the Pope’s Grandfather, John R. Prevost

With the announcement of the first-ever United States-born Pope, professional genealogists at Ancestry began the search that included a path of twists and turns, unexpected name changes, and, ultimately, the answers. We started with the 1950 United States Census, the most recent census record collection available and identified John R. Prevost, the grandfather of Pope Leo XIV, listed as a “Romance Language Teacher” in Chicago, Illinois, living at 5465 Ellis Ave., (remember this clue) with his wife, Suzanne L. Prevost, and his son, John C. Prevost.

1950 United States Federal Census - John R. Prevost

We were unable to locate many records in the United States before 1950 for John Prevost, outside of some city directories. A prominent clue was that John Prevost’s death certificate stated that he was a citizen of Italy – indicating that he never naturalized as a United States citizen. Through the National Archives Flexoline Database, we located an Alien Registration record, under the name John R. Prevost, born 1876 in Italy, residing in Chicago in 1940. Alien Registration began in 1940 for anyone who was a foreign national and had not naturalized as a United States citizen.

According to the Alien Registration, dated 24 September 1940, John Riggitano Prevost arrived in the United States at New York in May 1905 on the SS Perugia. Surprisingly, John gave his name on his alien registration at arrival as Salvatore Giovanni Riggitano Alioto (Giovanni is the Italian equivalent of the English name John). His birthplace was listed as Milazzo, Province of Messina, Italy, and he was born on 24 June 1876 – an exact match to the date of birth listed on John R. Prevost’s death certificate.

Alien Registration Form (AR-2) for John Riggitano Prevost; National Archives

The address on the Alien Registration—5465 Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois—also matches the address on the 1950 census (did you remember this clue?) and the address on the World War II Draft Card for Pope Leo XIV’s father, Louis Marius Prevost.

United States World War II Draft Registration Card - Louis M. Prevost

The Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican Launches

The Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican Launches

By Council Staff
December 08, 2020

THE COUNCIL ANSWERS THE CHALLENGE BY POPE FRANCIS TO APPLY PRINCIPLES OF MORALITY TO BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT PRACTICES

ORGANIZATIONS COMMIT TO CONCRETE ACTION TO CREATE A MORE EQUITABLE, SUSTAINABLE AND TRUSTED ECONOMIC SYSTEM

The Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican, an effort led by some of the world’s largest investment and business leaders, launched today. It signifies the urgency of joining moral and market imperatives to reform capitalism into a powerful force for the good of humanity. Under the moral guidance of His Holiness Pope Francis and His Eminence Cardinal Peter Turkson, who leads the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development at the Vatican, and inspired by the moral imperative of all faiths, the Council invites companies of all sizes to harness the potential of the private sector to build a fairer, more inclusive, and sustainable economic foundation for the world.

The Council is led by a core group of global leaders, known as Guardians for Inclusive Capitalism, who meet annually with Pope Francis and Cardinal Turkson. These leaders represent more than $10.5 trillion in assets under management, companies with over $2.1 trillion of market capitalization, and 200 million workers in over 163 countries. The organization challenges business and investment leaders of all sizes to embrace the Council’s guiding principles and make public commitments to act on them. These collective actions are intended to lead to systemic change by making capitalism a greater force for inclusivity and sustainability. Watch a video of the Guardians discussing the Council’s mission here.

Speaking to the Guardians, Pope Francis said, “An economic system that is fair, trustworthy, and capable of addressing the most profound challenges facing humanity and our planet is urgently needed. You have taken up the challenge by seeking ways to make capitalism become a more inclusive instrument for integral human wellbeing.”

The Guardians have already committed to hundreds of measurable actions, and Council members will make ongoing commitments to continue to advance inclusive capitalism. They will be accountable for their public commitments and invite businesses around the world to join. View the full list of actions being taken here.

Leo urges US to welcome immigrants in July 4 appeal

Peter Thiel Accuses Pope Leo of Serving as Chinese Communist Agent on AI

Nordin Catic/Getty Images for The Cambridge Union

Lucas Nolan

3 Jul 2026

Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel launched a series of controversial criticisms and predictions about AI and Western democracy during remarks at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado on Tuesday. In his most provocative statement, Thiel accused Pope Leo XIV of serving the interests of China with his stance on AI.

CNN reports that Thiel, co-founder of Palantir and PayPal and an early Silicon Valley supporter of President Donald Trump, accused Pope Leo of inadvertently functioning as a Chinese communist agent by advocating for AI regulation. He also warned of what he described as an impending democratic-socialist takeover of the United States Democratic Party.

The tech investor delivered his remarks during a nonrecorded panel alongside political scientist Francis Fukuyama. During the event, Thiel specifically targeted the Vatican and Pope Leo, the first American pope, claiming he was unintentionally advancing Chinese interests by advocating for stronger international oversight of AI. Breitbart News previously reported that in May, Pope Leo issued his first encyclical titled “Magnifica Humanitas” or “Magnificent Humanity,” declaring that artificial intelligence “must be disarmed” and calling for greater international regulation of the technology:

Pope Leo frequently returns to the theme of uniformity versus communion, stressing that the quest for uniformity is sterile, mechanistic, and prone to tyrannical abuse, while communion is voluntary and joyous, bringing people together with each other and God. The encyclical asserts that, while AI might become smarter than any one of us, it will never be able to match the unexpected and delightful achievements of all of us — the unpredictable genius of magnificent humanity.

The pope’s Tower of Babel analogy draws parallels between the development of AI and the construction of the ancient Tower of Babel, “an impressive feat” constructed with “a single language, a single technology, a single direction.”

Pope Leo Receives Liberty Medal and Makes Address for America's 250th Anniversary

 

Pope Leo is wrong about hunger

Opinion by David Harsanyi, Washington Examiner

Pope Leo is wrong about hunger

For Catholics, the Pope is the vicar of Christ and the spiritual leader of the Church — which is to say, his positions are typically none of my business. Then again, any time the pope delivers a statement that speaks to the political aspirations of the secular left, the media amplifies it to lecture the rest of us.

The latest such comment has to do with world hunger.

“It is important to resist the commodification of basic human needs,” the Pope said, criticizing slow humanitarian aid from the United States to the U.N. World Food Program. “Food, water and healthcare cannot be subordinated to market considerations or geopolitical interests.”

Virtually every major modern famine in history occurred in places that “subordinated” the commodification of food for a greater good. Though, Leo has it backward. The market is the natural state of economic activity. We subordinate the market. The question is, are we better off when we do? Almost every time, the answer is no.

It’s not an accident that capitalistic nations create so much wealth that they can be generous not only to their own hungry but also to the hungry elsewhere. The proportion of the global population facing hunger today has declined dramatically over the past 30-40 years because of technological advancements and efficiencies fueled by trade and market-driven profits.

Which is why the U.S. has pledged nearly $750 million to the U.N. World Food Program, far more than any nation. China generally contributes under $20 million and Russia around $30 million.

It should also be noted that government aid is not the only assistance we give. Americans are the most charitable people in the world.

“Access to adequate food is a fundamental human right grounded in the dignity of every person,” the pope went on. “Meeting this need not only alleviates suffering but also addresses underlying causes of geopolitical instability. Indeed, food security is an essential component of global and integral security.”

Most people acknowledge that feeding and caring for the poor is a moral imperative. Being fed is not a “fundamental human right,” however, because it requires compelling another person to provide it. Americans believe — or should believe — that only the “fundamental rights” are those that call on others to abstain from interfering. That includes things like freedom of speech and religion. Your healthcare can’t be a right.

Moreover, helping the poor without any expectation that the government will change its policies that strip its people of dignity does nothing to help the underlying causes of geopolitical instability. If we choose, Americans have every right to attach expectations to their aid.

The United Nations, after all, is teeming with illiberal tyrannical nations that drive their own people into destitution. The areas most in danger of hunger, according to a recent U.N. report, are Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria, Somalia, and the Gaza Strip. All of them struggle in part because of Islamism, which carries a political agenda that runs counter to every Christian tenet imaginable. It would be nice if the Church spoke out about corrupt regimes and Islamists with the same passion it does the U.S., which has done more for the world’s poor than any institution that has ever existed.

Source

Pope Leo XIV visits UN World Food Program headquarters in Rome

COMECE outlines a vision for Europe’s future against populism and wars

Pope Leo XIV meets with the Presidency of COMECE (@VATICAN MEDIA)
Church

Speaking at a press conference at Vatican Radio headquarters, the presidency of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) reflected on their meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Thursday morning and on presenting him with a proposal for a new edition of “Rethinking Europe” for fall 2027.

By Davide Dionisi

“Today’s audience was particularly cordial, direct, and open regarding the issues discussed. The underlying note was a strong harmony between our work and what the Pope teaches and bears witness to through his magisterium, his positions, and his initiatives.”

These were the words of Bishop Mariano Crociata, the President of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), during a press conference held in Sala Marconi of the Vatican Radio headquarters following the audience that the presidency of COMECE had with Pope Leo XIV this morning.

Weakening of the EU’s mission

“The European Union,” Bishop Crociata stated, “was born as a project of peace, and peace lies at its roots and in its identity. It is therefore called to foster dialogue among countries and international institutions, while at the same time promoting multilateralism, as the Pope explicitly recalled.”

At the same time, the President of COMECE noted that the EU’s mission, in a world marked by strong polarization, “is weakened by the lack of unity, also as a result of populism.”

Promoting values

For Bishop Crociata, “the words of the Gospel and the Church’s social teaching, applied to the issues that concern us today,” remain fundamental.

This, the COMECE President insisted, is the central point, and “on this we cannot retreat out of fear, convenience, or worse, because of possible political preferences. Our task goes beyond divisions, majorities, and minorities: it is to promote values at the service of humanity and of today’s Europe.”

Bishop Crociata also emphasized that the Bishops presented to the Pope the proposal to organize, in the autumn of 2027, a new edition of “Rethinking Europe.”