Pope Blesses a Block of Ice at Climate Justice Conference
After placing his hand reverently on the ice, the pope offered a blessing.
When it comes to the culture wars, the new pope appears to be a lot like the old pope.
Days after President Donald Trump declared that climate change is the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” during his address before the United Nations General Assembly, Pope Leo XIV solemnly — and shamelessly — blessed a block of ice.
Those present were invited to stand for “The Blessing of the Waters,” the opening event for the Raising Hope for Climate Justice International Conference that took place at Castel Gandolfo, the pope’s summer residence.
The occasion was part of the Vatican’s 10th anniversary celebration of Pope Francis’s 2015 climate encyclical (a papal letter sent out to leaders of the Catholic Church), Laudato Si’, pertaining to “care for our common home.”
After placing his hand reverently on the ice, the pope offered a blessing: “Lord of life, bless this water. May it awaken our hearts, cleanse our indifference, soothe our grief, and renew our hope, through Christ our Lord.”
Next, a bolt of blue fabric was unfurled — presumably to symbolize water — which participants shook during the ceremony. In between pledges from climate activists present, attendees sang a refrain from a Latin hymn.
The Blessing of the Waters by Pope Leo XIV, at today’s ‘Raising Hope for Climate Justice’ International Conference at Castel Gandolfo. pic.twitter.com/QL5T5TOCvg
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) October 1, 2025
Later, Pope Leo addressed the crowd, at times sounding more like an environmental activist than a man of God. He called on “everyone in society, through non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups,” to ”put pressure on governments to develop and implement more rigorous regulations, procedures, and controls.”
Citizens need to take an active role in political decision-making at national, regional, and local levels.
Only then will it be possible to mitigate the damage done to the environment. Local legislation will also be more effective if neighboring communities support the same environmental policies.
It is my hope that the upcoming international summits of the United Nations — the 2025 Climate Change Conference (COP30), the 53rd Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security, and the 2026 Water Conference — will listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, families, indigenous peoples, involuntary migrants, and believers throughout the world.
At the same time, I encourage everyone — especially young people, parents, and those who work in local and national administrations and institutions — to play their part in finding solutions for today’s cultural, spiritual, and educational challenges, always striving tenaciously for the common good.
There is no room for indifference or resignation.
While this spectacle may have delighted the Church’s more progressive members, many of us would have preferred the pope stay out of the culture wars.
Here are a few responses to the event:
I am Catholic, and it is circumstances like this that frustrate me about the Church and its priorities.
The genocide of Christians in Nigeria should come before symbolic acts like praying over a block of ice for climate change activists.
— Vincent A. (@approachitsmart) October 2, 2025
— Tob×͜× (@belloabdulbariu) October 2, 2025
I don’t understand any of this or why he’s engaging in this pagan-like farce when he could be bringing attention to the persecution & violence Christians are facing worldwide – esp. the Christian genocide in Nigeria. Infuriating.
— LauraLee Waters (@LauraLeeWaters7) October 1, 2025
Pope Leo disappointed traditionalists a second time this week with his response to a question about the offer of a “lifetime achievement award” to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) for his work on immigration advocacy by Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich. Following intense criticism from numerous U.S. bishops that the pro-abortion Durbin was unworthy of the award, Durbin withdrew his name from consideration.
Asked by a reporter on Tuesday to weigh in, the pope replied:
I am not terribly familiar with the particular case. I think it’s important to look at the overall work that a senator has done during, if I’m not mistaken, in 40 years of service in the United States Senate.
I understand the difficulty and the tensions. But I think as I myself have spoken in the past, it’s important to look at many issues that are related to the teachings of the Church.
Someone who says I’m against abortion but is in favor of the death penalty is not really pro-life. Someone who says I’m against abortion but I’m in agreement with the inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro life.
This was, of course, a thinly veiled jab at Trump.
The pope continued:
So they are very complex issues and I don’t know if anyone has all the truth on them. But I would ask first and foremost that they would have respect for one another and that we search together both as human beings and in that case as American citizens and citizens of the state of Illinois, as well as Catholics, to say that we need to be looking at all of these ethical issues. And to find the way forward as a Church. The Church teaching on each one of those issues is very clear.
How about saying that a senator who advocates for abortion is not entitled to a lifetime achievement award from the Archdiocese of Chicago?
There was a time when the Catholic Church unequivocally condemned abortion. Apparently, times have changed.
1/2
When asked about the appropriateness of giving the Archdiocese of Chicago’s “Keep Hope Alive” award to Senator Dick Durbin – a member of the Woke Radical Left and a notorious supporter of abortion – Prevost replied that “it's important to look at the overall work that a… pic.twitter.com/rUnWXyuZMz
— Arcivescovo Carlo Maria Viganò (@CarloMVigano) October 1, 2025
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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Comments
Meet the new boss.
Just like the old boss
Blessing a block of ice? Has anyone seen the pope in the same room as Joe Biden at the same time?
Well that didn’t take very long.
I expect the Pope to submit to Islam any day.
Please, take a drink withoit ice
Use it to make slushys.
Jesuits….
He’s an Augustinian, actually.
My bad; it is usually the Jesuits that are a bit wacky 🙂
Give me a break!!! A block of ice, really???
Blockhead blessing block ice.
If anyone is thinking of upvoting this commenter, I recommend they take a look at his anti-Catholic/anti-religious views below. Consider yourselves warned.
Hey, after blessing a warm turd when Biden visited, a block of ice was a walk in the park.
Hey! Here’s an idea – maybe the Church can sell Papal Indulgences like in the good old days – a great money maker! Still… we’re gonna need a catchy name – maybe we could call them Christly Carbon Credits!
Actually there is much here to criticize. Respectfully of course. But some can’t help themselves and seize this as an opportunity to vent more anti-Catholic bile. I saw this throughout the Francis years and here we go again.
Here’s an idea. The church can sell its art and its property and donate the proceedings and all it ill gotten wealth to the poor, It can open up its walls to let in migrants. It can stop calling illegal invaders of a country immigrants. It can excommunicate the many pro abortion catholics in the US and around the world instead of looking the other way because it’s convenient. It can especially punish those like Pelosi, You wanna make a difference, start there Pope and stop with the useless performance art.
No argument that the Pope’s conduct and words merit some respectful criticism. Like the comments above “ I don’t understand any of this or why he’s engaging in this pagan-like farce when he could be bringing attention to the persecution & violence Christians are facing worldwide – esp. the Christian genocide in Nigeria. Infuriating.”
But “ill gotten” wealth? Painting a little broadly with ye old bigoted anti-Catholic brush aren’t you? How about keeping the anti Catholicism out of this?
I don’t like organized religion especially organized religion that regularly inserts itself into politics and the Catholic church is about the most organized I can think of. It is literally a top down hierarchy. It also routinely inserts itself into politics everywhere and without having any direct skin in the game usually.
The Catholic Church’s wealth is estimated to be in the range of $50 billion to $2.5 trillion, depending on the sources and the assets considered. They aren’t very transparent not that they have to be. I’m sure a good chunk of it acquired during the middle ages can be categorized as ill gotten but I can’t prove anything nor do I have desire to spend the time researching their early sources of income.
The Catholic Church doesn’t have a stellar reputation regarding Jews although certain personages went well beyond what would be expected during WW2 and deserve every accolade they receive.
I have nothing against Catholics per se although I can’t understand why people remain affiliated with them but that is their business. I’ll keep my anti-Catholic Church bigotry though thank you very much.
By the way it isn’t just in Nigeria that Christians are being killed. The muslims especially the arabs have been doing a bang up job of ethnic cleansing Christians throughout the middle east especially in Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon. Elsewhere as well although it isn’t something I follow that closely. It’s what muslims do. See I’m an equal opportunity bigot.
You mean don’t like religion. There’s a long line of distinguished moralists that share your sentiments, Marx being prominent among them. Christ established the Church community. I think I’ll take his view on organizing.
No, organized religion which not the same as religion. To each their own.
It took all of ten seconds for the pope to make himself a partisan figure.
Is anyone surprised cardinals appointed by the last pope voted for a nearly identical pope?
That said the pope could surprise us and I hope he does but these early indicators are for he will use his papal platform as a base for left wing politicians.
I hope I am wrong.
The pope is simping for the left just as your preferred politicians do, Danny.
Why a block of ice? How about a dewer of liquid nitrogen? More seriously, I regard this as yet another indication that climate change has become a kind of state religion. Heads of state, prime ministers, presidents have all become worshippers in the new anti-science religion.
Michael Crichton was one of the first to introduce the notion of environmentalism as a religion in an address to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. He explains his ideas in detail for a bunch of students. See this video.
https://youtu.be/j6MOz2TmEbM?si=GZKx-pj_XQNGTR1r
I also have to ask: is Pope Leo speaking ex cathedra on climate change? I suspect not because Popes rate do. He has already presented himself as more of a politican than as spiritual leader. We live in trying times.
For many Catholic leaders their love for God has grown cold. So why shouldn’t they worship a block of ice? The symbolism is perfect, although Satan will blind them to their folly to keep them from repentance.
The environmental movement will go down as one of history’s most prolific group of mass murderers, right up there with the Hall Of Famers Stalin. Mao and Schicklgruber. The unnecessary banning of DDT alone – a vanity project pushed by wealthy whites from the same ultra-wealthy class as Pope Ice Cube – cost tens of millions of poor black and brown people their lives. Does anyone seriously think Pope Ice Cube and the bootlickers who surround him care about the people they will get killed?
He wasn’t sitting in his cathedra, so no.
Also, it’s not just any old thing he says while sitting in his cathedra; it has to be a doctrine of faith or morals, and he has to explicitly say that the whole church is required to accept it.
It also can’t be a new doctrine; it has to be something that has been floating about for yonks, generally believed by most Catholics but not yet officially defined as doctrine.
African Catholics are being slaughtered by Muslims and this fraud is busy blessing ice.
Priorities, you know!
Leo wants to be part of the in-crowd. Just like Jesus did. 😉
It could be worse: the cardinals could have elevated Sister Boom-Boom to the papacy instead.
Nah- who am I kidding? They preferred Pope Ice Cube because he is the bigger nutjob. Satan is having a good belly laugh right now.
You just gave the pope his rapper name. Well done!
Pope Blesses a Block of Ice at Climate Justice Conference
Makes sense since, if the global warming loons get their way and are successful they’ll turn the Earth into a ball of ice.
This pope is a friggin nihistic retard. I didn’t think the Catholic church could do worse than Commie Francis but they have found a way.
“… listen to the cry of the earth …”? Were I and The Bride Catholic we would be humiliated by the Pope’s actions.
But we’re PCA Presbyterian so we’ll just shake our heads and say, “There but for the Grace of God go we.”
.
But he won’t listen to the cries of the babies who are been slaughtered in the womb. He won’t listen to the cries of Christians who are being murdered in Nigeria and elsewhere. He won’t listen to the cries of parents who are watching their children die from malaria and other preventable mosquito-borne diseases because of the wacky environmental campaign to ban DDT.
A block of ice is the perfect symbol for this Pope: cold and devoid of compassion.
Trump supporter?
He Blessed ICE
We bless boats, water, all kinds of things….. Stop the pearl clutching..
Did you bother actually reading the article or any of the included tweets?
The Pope is the nominal head of the largest Christian church. Instead of shilling for the “climate change” industry, he should be speaking out against the ongoing targeting of Christians in Nigeria and Syria.
Maybe the pope needs better science advisors? Sounds like he is following pop culture? He’s going to make greta a saint?
Every time I give even a slight consideration to rejoining the Catholic Church, they give me a reason to back away and run!
Christ! Jesus would have transformed it into a pitcher of frozen margaritas.
It’s now Swiss ice……..
Because it’s Holy…..
(crickets)
I’ll leave now.
Try the veal and tip the wait staff, they work hard.