Pope Leo on May 23 criticised companies pursuing “dizzying” profits at the expense of environmental destruction during a visit to Acerra, in southern Italy, an area long associated with illegal toxic waste dumping.
The first U.S.-born pope travelled to the region, about 220 km south of Rome, where he urged global leaders and corporations to “reject temptations of power and enrichment linked to practices that pollute the land, water, air, and social coexistence," Reuters reports.
Leo said his visit to the area near Naples—known as the “Land of Fires”—was intended to “gather the tears” of families who have lost loved ones to illnesses linked to environmental pollution.
Arriving by popemobile, he was greeted by crowds waving Vatican flags and holding photographs of relatives who died in suspected pollution-related cases.
“Unscrupulous people and organisations have been allowed to act with impunity for too long,” Leo said during his four-hour visit, adding that “the dizzying profits of a few, blind to the needs of people, their work and their future.”
He also met with victims of pollution-linked diseases during the visit.
The region has faced decades of illegal waste dumping, with some activities allegedly linked to organised crime groups, including the Camorra mafia network operating around Naples.
In January 2025, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italian authorities had failed to protect residents from illegal dumping since at least 1988 in an area sometimes referred to as the “Triangle of Death” due to elevated cancer rates.
The court ordered Italy to establish a comprehensive toxic waste database within two years and improve public risk communication.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later appointed a senior military official to lead a national task force focused on environmental cleanup and victim support.
Leo is expected to issue his first encyclical on May 25, addressing major global issues including artificial intelligence, warfare, and labour rights.
By Sabina Mammadli
