Responding to Pope Leo’s Ice Blessing…

Cy Kellett and Joe Heschmeyer engage with a listener from North Carolina who raises a curious question about Pope Leo’s recent blessing of a block of ice for a climate justice event.

Transcript:

Caller: I saw something today about Pope Leo blessing a block of ice for a climate justice event, and people seem upset. I don’t totally understand why they’re upset. You know, from my understanding as a newer Catholic Popes you know, they bless objects.

Cy: What have people said? I’m not really familiar with this.

Caller: I’ve seen people say, you know, this is horrific was a word used, things like that.

Joe: Are these those anti-ICE protests I’ve been hearing so much about?

Cy: Yes, the people are protesting the ice.
Joe: No, no, it was just a true block of ice, like something called blessing the water. I’ve actually, I’ve seen the video, but. And I’ve got the remarks in front of me.

Cy: I understand that people said it’s horrific, but I would. Do you have any idea why they thought it was horrific? Like, what did they… This is like, he’s doing what?

Caller: I think they’re more concerned with the people that are giving the event. I also saw the word communist thrown in there, but that’s not the real communist.

Cy: The communists never blessed anything. They. Not a thing. They never blessed the thing. But. All right, go ahead, go ahead.

Caller: Yeah, the deeper part of the question was like, to what extent, with all that being said, like, people are upset. To what extent can the laity, like, object to the actions of those in authority without being in schism? Like, I’m thinking of people who are upset about the repression of the Latin Mass, but also that as well, just like anything, that they’re upset about some things. I see. And like, is that okay to say?

Continued below.