杏MAP导航

By Stefan J. Bos

In Spain and Portugal, record wildfires have burned more than 560,000 hectares.

At least six people have died, thousands were forced to flee, and even the historic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route was disrupted.

Nearly 2,000 Spanish troops were deployed in one of the largest emergency responses in years.

In the Italian Alps, the Ventina Glacier has melted so dramatically that scientists can now only monitor it with drones.

In the Dolomites, thawing permafrost triggered rockfalls that forced hundreds of hikers to evacuate.

Further north, Scandinavia has endured an unprecedented heatwave, with Finland recording 22 consecutive days above 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).

Hospitals overwhelmed

Hospitals were overwhelmed, and authorities say dozens drowned while seeking relief in lakes and rivers.

Wildlife also collapsed under the strain of extreme heat.

In Asia, monsoon flooding has killed hundreds in Pakistan, Nepal, and Indian-administered Kashmir, displacing tens of thousands.

Also, China has suffered landslides from torrential rains, while parts of India face severe droughts that threaten crops and water supplies.

Experts estimate the latest European heatwave killed 2,300 people, with around 1,500 deaths directly linked to fossil-fuel emissions that intensified the heat.

While some skeptics argue natural variability and rapid urbanization — the so-called “heat island effect” in cities — also contribute, the overwhelming consensus is that human activity is the main driver.

For bishops, these overlapping crises highlight the urgency of prayer and action. With wildfires, floods, and glaciers collapsing, their prayers for creation now echo in a world in crisis.