At midday today, in the Vatican Gardens, the Feast of Saint Francis was celebrated in the presence of the Holy Father.

During the prayer ceremony, concluding the “Season of Creation” initiative promoted recently by Pope Francis, a tree from Assisi was planted as a symbol of integral ecology, to consecrate the Synod on Amazonia to Saint Francis, shortly before the fortieth anniversary of the papal proclamation of the Poverello of Assisi at the patron of ecologists. At the end of the celebration the Holy Father recited the Lord’s Prayer.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of indigenous populations from Amazonia, Franciscan brothers and various members of the Church.