Pope Francis says Earth is 'sick' in new climate change warning

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Friday urged people around the world to better protect the environment, ahead of a 12-day trip to Southeast Asia next week in which the pontiff is expected to urge global action on climate change.

"If we took the planet's temperature, it will tell us that the Earth has a fever. And it is sick," the pontiff said in a video message. "We must commit ourselves to ... the protection of nature, changing our personal and community habits."

Francis releases a video message each month to announce his prayer intentions for that month. The intention for September is "for the cry of the Earth".

The 87-year-old leader of the global Catholic Church leaves on Monday to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

Francis has stressed the importance of environmental issues throughout his 11-year papacy. Each of the countries on his Sept. 2-13 tour are facing dangers from the warming global climate, including rising sea levels and increasingly severe and unpredictable heat waves and typhoons.

In his video, Francis said climate change required actions "that are not only ecological, but are also social, economic and political".

"The ones suffering most from the consequences of these disasters are the poor, those who are forced to leave their homes because of floods, heat waves or drought," the pope said.

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Editing by Alvise Armellini and Alison Williams)