From Greenland to the Amazon, a gesture of faith and climate urgency marks the Church’s presence in the global climate debate
Brasília, October 30, 2025 – After moving the world during the Raising Hope conference held in October in Castel Gandolfo, the symbolic gesture of Pope Leo XIV marking the 10th anniversary of the Laudato Si’ encyclical has now arrived in Brazil. During the celebration, the Pontiff blessed a block of ice from Greenland as a symbol of the global climate emergency. The water from this melting was brought to Brazil by the Laudato Si’ Movement, now begins an unprecedented pilgrimage “from Greenland to the Amazon,” connecting faith, science, and commitment to our Common Home.
The symbol will be presented at two of the country’s most emblematic religious sites: the National Shrine of Aparecida and the Christ the Redeemer Sanctuary. Afterwards, the water will travel to Belém (PA), where it will be presented during the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30). The gesture represents the pastoral and prophetic presence of the Church in the global climate debate, reinforcing the message that “caring for our Common Home is a matter of faith and justice.”
This initiative, coordinated by the Laudato Si’ Movement with support from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), aims to raise awareness among the faithful, religious leaders, and society about the urgent need for concrete responses to the climate crisis.
Program:
- Aparecida (SP): On November 2 at 8:00 AM, the National Shrine of Aparecida will host a Mass presided over by Dom Orlando Brandes, including a symbolic moment with the blessed water. The celebration will be broadcast live on TV Aparecida.
- Rio de Janeiro (RJ): On November 3 at 5:00 PM, the Christ the Redeemer Sanctuary in Rio de Janeiro will host a celebration presided over by Father Josafá Siqueira SJ, with representatives from the Church, civil society organizations, and socio-environmental leaders.
- Belém (PA): On November 10 at 7:00 PM, the symbol will be part of the welcome Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth. On November 12, it will be presented again in a special moment at the same sanctuary. These celebrations will mark the arrival of the “water from Greenland” in the Amazon, reinforcing the symbolism uniting the voices of faith communities and the peoples of the Amazon at the opening of COP30.
Remember the Conference:
The Raising Hope for Climate Justice conference was held from October 1–3, 2025, in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, organized by the Laudato Si’ Movement and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The event marked the 10th anniversary of the Laudato Si’ encyclical and brought together around 500 participants, including religious leaders, scientists, youth, representatives of traditional peoples, and international authorities.
Among the guests were Brazil’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, and actor-activist Arnold Schwarzenegger, both emphasizing the need to unite faith, politics, and science to address the climate crisis. During the opening ceremony, Marina Silva officially invited Pope Leo XIV to participate in COP30 in Brazil, highlighting the country’s leadership in the global climate agenda.
The conference’s highlight came at the opening ceremony when Pope Leo XIV blessed a fragment of ice from Greenland, placed on stage as a symbol of the climate emergency. The water from this ice was entrusted to the Laudato Si’ Movement as a sign of the Church’s commitment to ecological conversion and socio-environmental justice, representing the spiritual and environmental bond connecting the North Pole to the Amazon.
A Call to Action: People’s Determined Contributions (PDC)
Ten years after the Paris Agreement, government pledges still fall short. The PDC campaign invites people of faith to respond to Pope Leo XIV’s challenge: “What will be our answer?”
Inspired by Laudato Si’, your contribution is a concrete act of hope — caring for creation, supporting the poor, and building resilient communities. Together, we are the action heroes Pope Leo spoke of.
👉 Share your PDC — your commitment to our common home. Will you answer the cry of the Earth and the poor? Now it’s our turn to respond with courage, creativity, and hope.