As crews contain Europe fires, Pope Francis sounds alarm on climate threat to ‘our common home’

By NICOLE WINFIELD and DEREK GATOPOULOS
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Pope Francis has urged governments to do more to fight climate change and protect “our common home” as improving weather conditions help firefighters contain wildfires in Greece, Italy and other countries in southern Europe. Francis sent a telegram of condolences to Greece, where wildfires killed five people over the past week, including the pilots of a water-dropping aircraft. The pope notes that successive heat waves have exacerbated the dangers of the summer fire season and has offered his prayers for firefighters and emergency personnel in particular. A break in the extreme weather on Friday has helped firefighters contain major blazes in Greece, Italy, Croatia and Turkey.