Pope Francis turns his thoughts to the thousands of people affected by devastating fires in the US city of Los Angeles and renews his appeal to pray for peace.
By Linda Bordoni
VATICAN CITY — “I am close to the residents of Los Angeles County, California, where devastating wildfires have flared in recent days: I pray for all of you,” said Pope Francis after the recitation of the Angelus Prayer on Sunday.
His words of solidarity and concern come in the wake of a telegram addressed to Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles on Saturday in which he expressed his deep sadness over the “loss of life” and “widespread destruction” caused by the fires that continue to burn near the city of Los Angeles.
The fires
Meanwhile, on Sunday the death toll from the wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area rose to 16 as crews battled to cut off the spreading blazes before potentially strong winds return that could push the flames toward some of the city’s most famous landmarks.
Five of the deaths reported so far are attributed to the “Palisades Fire” and 11 resulted from the “Eaton Fire”, according to a statement by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office on Saturday evening.
Officials said they expected that figure to rise as teams with cadaver dogs conduct systematic grid searches in levelled neighbourhoods. Authorities have established a centre where people can report the missing. And as new evacuation warnings left more homeowners on edge, there are fears that winds could move the fires toward the J. Paul Getty Museum and the University of California.
Prayers for peace
After expressing his joy after having baptized several babies on Sunday morning, Pope Francis asked for prayers for them and their families.
He also mentioned the beatification of a missionary priest, Don Giovanni Merlini, whom he described as “a prudent advisor to many souls and a messenger of peace.”
“Let us invoke his intercession as we pray for peace in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the entire world,” the Pope said reiterating his tireless appeal and reminder that war is always a defeat.
“Let us not fail to pray for peace. Let us remember that war is always a defeat.”
