The bishops of France have called on Catholics to welcome the displaced, as another 4,000 people have been evacuated.
More than 220,000 people in total have been forced to flee, with France seeing its largest wildfire since 1949. The French bishops encouraged parishes to remain open where possible as places of welcome for those displaced.
In a July 28 statement, the Bishops’ Conference of France stated: “Firefighters were seriously injured and some even lost their lives in this fierce fight against the flames. At the same time, other territories suffered episodes of hail of exceptional violence. In a few minutes, entire crops are wiped out, leaving farmers destitute with the disappearance of their crops, vineyards, orchards or fields.
