"In a dramatic display of symbolism, Pope Leo XIV blessed a block of ice to challenge climate change deniers and urge political leaders to act.
The gesture was performed at a global gathering south of Rome
marking the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si, the late Pope Francis' ecological encyclical.
The gesture was performed at a global gathering south of Rome
Standing before a melting glacier fragment, Pope Leo invoked his predecessor's environmental legacy while chastising those who mock climate science. He called on leaders to act with courage rather than delay, and invited attendees to join the effort.
Pope Leo stood before the frozen water and pronounced his blessing amid muted applause. He then turned to the crowd and asked: 'Will you join with us?' His remarks were directed at sceptics who 'ridicule those who speak of global warming'. He firmly pledged the Church's commitment to planetary care, building on Francis' message.
His stage featured a large block of ice from Greenland, its melting intended as a visual admonition.
The pontiff's remarks came just days after US President Donald
Trump addressed the UN and dismissed climate change as a 'con job'. By referencing Francis' encyclicals, Leo positioned himself as a spiritual heir.
The pope also revealed plans to transform a field north of Rome into a solar farm, which will help make Vatican City the world's first carbon‑neutral state.
Sky News host James Morrow has mocked Pope Leo for “blessing blocks of ice” in a climate stunt. “Yet, what we see there, with that blessing a block of ice, that is a nod to the paganism of the environmental movement.”
Pope Leo stood before the frozen water and pronounced his blessing amid muted applause. He then turned to the crowd and asked: 'Will you join with us?' His remarks were directed at sceptics who 'ridicule those who speak of global warming'. He firmly pledged the Church's commitment to planetary care, building on Francis' message.
His stage featured a large block of ice from Greenland, its melting intended as a visual admonition.
The pontiff's remarks came just days after US President Donald
The pope also revealed plans to transform a field north of Rome into a solar farm, which will help make Vatican City the world's first carbon‑neutral state.
Sky News host James Morrow has mocked Pope Leo for “blessing blocks of ice” in a climate stunt. “Yet, what we see there, with that blessing a block of ice, that is a nod to the paganism of the environmental movement.”
International Business Times
