Pope urges governments to protect ‘our common home’ after European wildfires

Firefighters and volunteers try to extinguish a wildfire in the town of Nea Anchialos, near Volos (Tatiana Bolari/Eurokinissi via AP)

Pope Francis has urged governments to do more to fight climate change and protect “our common home” as improving weather conditions helped firefighters contain wildfires in Greece, Italy and other countries in southern Europe.

Francis, who has been outspoken on environmental issues, sent a telegram of condolences to Greece, where wildfires killed five people over the past week, including the pilots of a water-dropping aircraft.