CAMERINO: Pope Francis donned a white firefighter’s safety helmet on Sunday to enter a damaged cathedral during a visit to central Italy, where he gave encouragement to people still struggling three years after devastating earthquakes struck.

Francis travelled to the town of Camerino, which was shaken so badly in 2016 that people are still not allowed into the town centre as work continues to stabilise buildings.

Before he entered the cathedral, a firefighter’s safety helmet was placed over Francis’ skullcap. Inside the cathedral, he was surrounded by firefighters and clergymen also wearing helmets. The image of Francis wearing a helmet mirrored the scene in Paris on Saturday of churchmen, including the archbishop of Paris, wearing hard hats as they celebrated the first Mass in Notre Dame Cathedral since a fire ravaged the landmark and toppled its spire on April 15.

Pope Francis called for restraint and a lowering of tensions in the Middle East on Sunday following attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman that have raised fears of a broader confrontation in the region.

Francis, during a visit to a city in central Italy that was severely damaged by a string of earthquakes in 2016, said he was worried by the ramifications of the attacks.

“I invite everyone to use the instruments of diplomacy to resolve the complex problems of the conflicts in the Middle East,” he said.

“I renew a heartfelt appeal to the international community to make every possible effort to favour dialogue and peace,” he said after saying a Mass for several thousand people.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2019