Pope Leo has visited the Terra dei Fuochi, or Land of Fires, near Naples, where illegal toxic waste dumping linked to the Camorra mafia has caused a rise in cancer and other illnesses. The pontiff met families whose loved ones have died or are suffering from pollution-related diseases, offering condolences and condemning those responsible.
In remarks inside Acerra's cathedral, Pope Leo said he came to 'gather the tears' of those who lost loved ones 'killed by environmental pollution caused by unscrupulous people and organisations who for too long were able to act with impunity.' He recalled that the area was once called 'Campania felix'—a blessed countryside—but is now marked by 'death, of the land and of men.'
The visit comes ahead of the 11th anniversary of Pope Francis' ecological encyclical Laudato Si, signalling Pope Leo's commitment to environmental justice. The European Court of Human Rights last year ruled that Italian authorities had known since 1988 about the pollution but failed to protect residents, ordering Italy to establish a database on toxic waste and health risks.
Local bishop Antonio Di Donna estimated that 150 young people had died in Acerra over the past three decades, not including adults or victims from other municipalities. He urged the pope to admonish polluters, saying: 'Convert, change your ways, because what you are doing is not only a crime, it is a sin that cries out to God for vengeance.'
Pope Leo later greeted mayors of the 90 affected communities and thousands of residents waving yellow flags and chanting 'Papa Leone.' Relatives of victims, such as Angelo Venturato, whose daughter Maria died of cancer at 25, and Filomena Carolla, whose daughter Tina died at 24, expressed anger and hope that the pope's intervention would bring change.
