CAMERINO, Italy (AP) — Pope Francis has donned a white firefighter's safety helmet to enter a damaged cathedral during a visit to central Italy, where he is giving encouragement to people still struggling three years after devastating earthquakes struck.

Francis traveled Sunday to the town of Camerino, which was shaken so badly in 2016 that people are still not allowed into the town center as work continues to stabilize 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. He placed flowers at a statue of the Virgin Mary, which was damaged in the earthquake. The statue's head and arms are missing.