Pope Leo XIV blesses 20,000-year-old ice at the Roman climate conference

Hope rising At a meeting in Rome this week, Pope Leo Xiv wishes artist Olafur Eliasson to bring a 20,000-year-old Greenland glacier ice on the stage.

Eliasson, known for his large-scale works of exploring natural phenomena, transported ice from Nuup Kangerlua Fjord with the help of geologist Minik Rosing. The piece has been taken apart from the Greenland ice sheet and is melting into the ocean.

“Witness Pope Leo Xiv blesses a 20,000-year-old piece of Greenland glacier ice…this fragile ice emphasizes the importance of recognizing that nature is not separate from humanity,” Eliasson wrote in an Instagram post about the event.

The prosperous hope gathers together faith leaders, scientists and policymakers before the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30) held in Brazil in November. The pope’s involvement highlighted the moral and spiritual dimensions of the climate crisis, organizers said.

Greenland’s huge ice sheet is a key regulator of the Earth’s climate and is shrinking rapidly. NASA estimates that due to global warming, approximately 270 billion tons of ice will be lost annually.

Pope Leo XIV was elected in May 2025 and only recently began his Pope, but has shown concerns about ecological issues. Eliasson, whose past projects include puck Rome’s gesture is designed to remind the audience that Greenland Ice’s installation says in European cities: “Our global relationship with the ice sheet is there: they connect us to the past, shape our current climate, and… will determine our shared future.”