The Pope blessed a block of ice in a bizarre attempt to combat global warming.

American Pope Leo XIV blessed a block of ice during an unusual action against climate change. He criticized Donald Trump's climate change policies, writes Daily Mail.

"We will demand decisiveness from leaders," the Pope declared as he blessed a block of ice. He then asked those present, "Will you join us?"

The Pontiff sharply condemned skeptics who "ridicule those who talk about global warming" and strongly supported Pope Francis's environmental legacy, making it an integral part of his own mission.

On the subject: New Pope Elected: What We Know About the First American to Occupy the Holy See

Pope Leo XIV presided over the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Francis's encyclical "Laudato Si" (Praise Be to You), dedicated to ecology. The celebrations took place at an international meeting near Rome.

The event was attended, among others, by actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Francis's encyclical considered caring for the planet a moral imperative and launched a global social movement to protect those people most affected by climate change.

Pope Leo XIV called on communities to pressure governments to develop stricter standards aimed at undoing the damage already done. He expressed hope that the upcoming UN climate conference "will hear the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor."

Although he didn't name anyone directly, his remarks came just days after US President Donald Trump addressed the UN General Assembly and declared global warming a "hoax." Trump has long criticized climate science and policies aimed at transitioning to renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

The pontiff cited Francis's 2023 encyclical, in which the head of the Argentine Catholic Church denounced world leaders and urged them to take action to slow climate change before it was too late.

Referring to this text, Leo XIV recalled that some leaders have chosen “to deny the obvious signs of climate change, to ridicule those who talk about global warming, and even to blame the poor for what harms them most.”

The Pope called for a sincere embrace of the environmental mission and noted that every Christian should be part of it.

"We cannot love a God we cannot see if we despise His creation. We cannot call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ if we do not share His view of creation and care for all that is fragile and vulnerable," he said from the stage, where a massive chunk of the melting Greenland glacier and tropical ferns stood nearby.

Leo XIV continued Francis's environmental legacy by blessing the Vatican's plan to build a massive solar power plant in a field north of Rome. Once completed, the Vatican will become the world's first carbon-neutral state.

The pontiff also addressed the issue of abortion. He was asked about Chicago Cardinal Blaise Supic's intention to present Illinois Senator Dick Durbin with a "Lifetime Achievement Award," which he excelled at helping immigrants. This prompted objections from several conservative American bishops, as the influential Democratic senator supports abortion rights.

Pope Leo XIV first called for respect for both sides, but also noted the contradictions in such a discussion.

"Someone who says, 'I'm against abortion but I support the death penalty,' isn't really a pro-life advocate. If someone says, 'I'm against abortion but I agree with the inhumane treatment of immigrants in the United States,' I'm not sure they can be called pro-life," he concluded.

These words echoed a common argument of the Catholic Church, which opposes abortion but strongly condemns the death penalty, deeming it "inadmissible" under any circumstances. The Vatican and American bishops have repeatedly demanded humane treatment for migrants.

Shortly after these statements, it was reported that Senator Durbin had declined the award.

The new pope has previously made clear his disagreement with Donald Trump's policies on social media. For example, on April 14, he reposted a message criticizing the deportation of Kilmar Abrego García, a 30-year-old Maryland resident and father of three, who was sent to El Salvador. The post read, "Don't you see the suffering? Isn't your conscience troubled? How can you remain silent?"

The 69-year-old pontiff also expressed his opinion on the Catholic stance of J.D. Vance on immigration. One of his articles was titled, "J.D. Vance is Wrong: Jesus Doesn't Ask Us to Rank Our Love for Others."

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In 2018, he published the following: "There is nothing Christian, American, or morally justifiable about a policy that separates children from their parents and places them in cages. It is being done in our name, and it is our collective shame."

The first-ever American pope, Leo XIV (born Robert Francis Prévost), was elected by the Conclave as the "least American of Americans" in the Church's leadership, and was seen as a reformer who would continue many of the initiatives of Pope Francis.

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