Castel Gandolfo—On September 5, Pope Leo XIV inaugurated the Borgo Laudato Si’, located near Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome.

The grounds date back to the pagan Roman Emperors and later became papal property.

Once reserved exclusively for pontifical use, Pope Francis envisioned it as a space “inclusive and accessible to everyone, especially to vulnerable people.”

The Borgo takes its name from Laudato Si’, Francis’ landmark social encyclical on the environment.

Inaugurated to mark the ten-year anniversary of the document, it embodies the Church’s vision of integral ecology, as articulated in that encyclical.

Spread over 55 hectares of extraterritorial land, the Borgo comprises 35 hectares of gardens and 20 hectares dedicated to agriculture, farming, greenhouses, and service buildings.

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A “Natural Cathedral”

At the inauguration, the Borgo was described as a “natural cathedral, where nature becomes prayer,” urging “our conversion to take care of our common home.”

“Laudato Si’ reads the signs of times,” speakers told the assembled guests. “It does so while grounded in tradition yet open to the future.”

In a video shown during the ceremony, Engineer Antonino Erregio explained that the site incorporates cutting-edge systems in “renewable energy, water conservation, and carbon offsetting.”

In the same video, Father Manuel Dorantes, Managing Director, said that the Borgo “endures the legacy of Pope Francis, while ushering in the leadership of Pope Leo.”

During the inauguration ceremony, Cardinal Fabbio Baggio, Director General of the Laudato Si’ Higher Education Center, said: “Here we are invited to pray together, so that anyone who visits may learn to praise and serve the Lord.”

He added: “Ecological conversion is possible,” noting that, inspired by St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, it also “allows us to create a more just and fraternal world.”

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A Pilgrimage Through the Gardens

At the start of the inauguration, Pope Leo XIV “made a symbolic pilgrimage through the grounds,” stopping at several key sites of the Borgo.

Highlights included the Garden of the Madonnina, where he paused for a brief prayer to Our Lady; the Garden of Mirrors, with its ponds and lakes evoking the oceans; and the papal coat of arms, crafted entirely from flowers and plants.

Along the way, the Holy Father greeted gardeners, educators, and their families, as well as entrepreneurs, encouraging the business community to commit to a greater support for environmental responsibility.

The Pope extended his greetings to animals as well, feeding fish in a pond and a horse from the stables, and gently petting a calf that had been born the previous day.

Leo also visited areas designed for educational programs, meant to raise ecological awareness among visitors and to foster a deeper sense of responsibility for our common home.

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A New Liturgy for the Care of Creation

Following the visit, the Liturgy of the Word was celebrated using what was described as a “new liturgy” for the Care of Creation—one Pope Leo has now used at least twice.

The ceremony opened with a choir singing Psalm 148, a hymn in which all creatures glorify God.

The Gospel reading, from Matthew 6, reminded the faithful that “no one can serve two masters,” so that one can’t serve God and wealth. The Gospel also called on Christians to live like the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field, who are provided for by God without anxiety.

After the homily, participants recited the “Prayer for our Earth” from paragraph 246 of Laudato Si’.

The liturgy concluded with famous singer Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo performing Dolce Sentire, with mentions to “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” and “Mother Earth.”

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“The Vocation of Being Custodians of God’s Work.”

In his homily, Pope Leo underlined that “fauna and flora were often protagonists of Jesus’ parables,” teaching that “through the contemplation of creatures we can better understand the ingenuity of the Creator.”

“Every creature is a part of His project,” he said, stressing that humans are “creatures among creatures, not creators.”

While humanity holds a “special place in the creative act,” the Holy Father warned, this comes with the “grave responsibility of being custodians of the other creatures and respecting the Creator’s design.”

Leo concluded by saying that Pope Francis left the Borgo Laudato Si’ as both a “seed of hope” and an “inheritance.” Faithful to its mission, Leo said, the Borgo will “favor an ecological conversion through education and catechesis.”

With the inauguration of Borgo Laudato Si’, Pope Leo XIV brings to life the vision first imagined by Pope Francis, signaling his commitment to Church Social Doctrine—an emphasis anticipated by his choice of papal name.

The original version of this article was published at The City and the World. Click here to subscribe to this Catholic journalism project by Pedro Gabriel.