VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis is praying for victims and rescuers trying to control California wildfires that have killed at least 11 people and destroyed thousands of homes, the Vatican said on Saturday.
“His Holiness Pope Francis assures you and the community affected by this tragedy of his spiritual closeness,” said a statement sent on behalf of the pope to the Archbishop of Los Angeles, José H. Gomez.
Expressing “his sincere condolences to those who mourn their loss,” Francis also offered prayers “for the relief efforts of emergency services personnel” and gave “his blessing to all as a token of consolation and strength in the Lord.”
Los Angeles is home to the largest Catholic community in the United States, according to the LA Catholics website.
Six simultaneous wildfires have devastated neighborhoods across Los Angeles County since Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of some 153,000 people and consuming 35,000 acres (14,100 hectares), or 54 square miles, or 2.5 times the area of Manhattan.
