Pope Leo XIV visits Acerra

Pope Leo XIV used a May 23 visit to Acerra, a town in southern Italy’s Campania region, to denounce companies that profit from pollution and to place environmental harm at the center of his public ministry. Reuters reported that Leo criticized “dizzying” profits earned at the cost of environmental damage during the trip to an area long known for illegal dumping of toxic waste. Acerra lies in the so-called “Land of Fires,” a territory near Naples that has for years been associated with illegal rubbish dumping, toxic waste burning and allegations of organized criminal involvement. Vatican News said Leo framed the visit as a show of closeness to a community marked by environmental degradation and social neglect. (usnews.com) ### Why did Leo choose Acerra for one of his early pastoral visits? Acerra was the site Leo chose to address residents living with the consequences of contamination, illegal burning and waste trafficking. Vatican News said the pope told mayors and local residents that the purpose of his presence was to “confirm and encourage” a sense of dignity and responsibility where life is threatened. (vaticannews.va) The Campania town has become a symbol inside Italy of the costs of illegal disposal and toxic fires. Vatican News reported from Acerra that local anti-fire volunteers described decades of environmental damage in the area, while Reuters said the zone is widely known as a hotbed for illegal dumping of toxic waste. (vaticannews.va) ### What exactly did the pope say about pollution and profit? Reuters reported that Leo called out companies seeking “dizzying” profits at the cost of environmental pollution. The agency said the remarks came during his visit to Acerra on Saturday, May 23. Vatican News said Leo urged residents and local officials to “take responsibility and serve life,” presenting environmental care as a moral duty as well as a civic one. (vaticannews.va) In his address, he said he had come to visit “once again a region whose beauty no injustice can erase.” ### What is the “Land of Fires” that Vatican outlets kept referencing? (usnews.com) The “Land of Fires” refers to parts of Campania where illegal dumping and the burning of waste have scarred communities for years. Vatican News described the territory around Acerra as “deeply scarred” by environmental degradation caused by illegal rubbish dumping and unchecked toxic fires. (vaticannews.va) Local residents interviewed by Vatican News described the issue as long-running and tied to fears over contamination and illness. Reuters likewise linked Leo’s visit to an area associated with toxic waste dumping and pollution. ### What else happened around the visit? On May 22, one day before the Acerra trip, Pope Leo authorized the beatification of Francisco González de Córdova and 79 companions killed during the Spanish Civil War in Santander, Catholic World Report said. (vaticannews.va) The group includes 67 priests, three Carmelites, three seminarians and seven laypeople. (vaticannews.va) Aleteia reported that Leo also met Cardinal Francis Arinze before beginning a new catechetical series on the liturgy. The outlet said Arinze, 93, is one of the last surviving participants in the Second Vatican Council. ### What comes next after Acerra? Spain is the next named destination in Leo’s schedule referenced by reports around the visit. (catholicworldreport.com) Catholic World Report said the beatification decree for the 80 martyrs was issued just days before the start of the pope’s apostolic journey to Spain. (aleteia.org) Vatican coverage of the Acerra trip also pointed to the continuation of Leo’s public teaching on liturgy and church life in the days ahead. The next formal milestones to watch are the Spain trip and any Vatican scheduling tied to the beatification process authorized on May 22. (catholicworldreport.com)