In May, Ireland became only the second country in the world to declare a “climate and biodiversity emergency.” But was it only a “greenwashing” move to distract climate activists from more oil and gas drilling?

"I am spiritually close to the victims of the episodes of violence that these days have bloodied Texas, California and Ohio, in the United States, affecting defenseless people," Pope Francis said.

The Catholic dioceses of El Paso, Texas, and neighboring Las Cruces, New Mexico, have joined in prayer after an August 3 mass shooting in a mall left several dead and many injured.

People fainted on public transport in England. In Paris schools postponed exams, and the heat wave aggravated wildfires in Spain and Portugal. In Scandinavia it hastened Arctic melt.

Arrests of immigrants in the U.S. illegally are increasing nationwide, and the result is more children are losing—or fearing they will lose—a parent through detention or deportation.

"If the world continues to do nothing, the result will be the elimination of the Christian presence," said Bishop Laurent Dabire of Dori, president of the bishops' conference of Burkina Faso and Niger.