‘Amazon rainforest is vital for our planet’ – Pope Francis

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis on Sunday urged the whole world to pray for the massive fire in the Amazon rainforest adding that the forest is vital for our Earth.

The pope addressed the fires in the Amazon after speaking at St. Peter’s Square as he chorus the voice of the international community’s concern that the inferno in Brazil will have a massive effect on the world’s environmental health.

Pope Francis said “we’re all worried” about the fires and that “lung of forest is vital for our planet.” He added, “Let us pray so that, with the efforts of all, they are controlled as quickly as possible.”

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Saturday deployed a Brazilian troop and military aircraft to help contol the fires which have sparked anti-government protests in Brazil against Bolsonaro’s way of handling the crisis.

The blaze also became a hot topic at the G7 summit.

Even so, it also sparked a war of words between French President Emmanuel Macron and Bolsonaro as the latter called the fire an “international crisis” which in return, the Brazilian president said that Macron shows no genuine concern on the forest and is only using it to gain more attention for his political will.

Aside from this, several leaders at the G7 summit promised to help Brazil control the blazes but Bolsonaro said that his country is not open for any help.

About 44,000 troops will be available for “unprecedented” operations to put out the fires, and forces are heading to six Brazilian states that asked for federal help, Defense Minister Fernando Azevedo said. The states are Roraima, Rondonia, Tocantins, Para, Acre, and Mato Grosso.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the group was close to agreeing on how to technically and financially support Brazil’s efforts.