Pope remembers Maui wildfire victims, prays for peace in Cameroon

By Thaddeus Jones

In his greetings following the recitation of Sunday's Angelus, Pope Francis turned his thoughts to the island of Maui, in Hawaii, when he reassured his prayers for the victims of the wildfires that have devastated the area. The Pope's words followed a telegram he sent to the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States two days ago when he expressed his “solidarity with all those suffering from this tragedy, especially those whose loved ones have died or are missing,” while praying for "God’s blessings of strength and peace” on the people.

The death toll from the wildfires on Maui has reached 93, while hundreds remain missing. The governor of Hawaii said the fires mark the largest natural disaster ever experienced, with an estimated 2,200 structures destroyed or damaged. 

Peace in Cameroon

The Pope then recalled that tomorrow on the eve of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a peace pilgrimage will take place in Bafoussam, Cameroon, a nation still suffering from violence and war. 

At the same time, the Pope asked everyone to continue to pray for the battered nation of Ukraine, suffering greatly due to the war.