Pope Leo has met Italian families whose loved ones have died or have cancer as a result of illegal toxic dumping linked to a multi-billion-euro criminal racket run by the mafia. The pontiff visited the Terra dei Fuochi, or Land of Fires, near Naples, on the eve of the 11th anniversary of Pope Francis' ecological encyclical, Laudato Si, signaling his commitment to environmental issues.
"I have come first of all to gather the tears of those who have lost loved ones, killed by environmental pollution caused by unscrupulous people and organisations who for too long were able to act with impunity," Leo said inside Acerra's cathedral. He recalled that the area was once called "Campania felix," Latin for blessed countryside, "capable of enchanting for its fertility, its produce and its culture, like a hymn to life. And yet – here is death, of the land and of men."
European Court Ruling
The European Court of Human Rights last year validated residents' complaints that mafia dumping, burial, and burning of toxic waste led to increased cancer rates and other illnesses in 90 municipalities around Caserta and Naples, affecting 2.9 million people. The court found Italian authorities had known since 1988 about the pollution, blamed on the Camorra crime syndicate, but failed to protect residents. The binding ruling gave Italy two years to establish a database on toxic waste and health risks.
Local Impact and Bishop's Appeal
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 areas. He urged the pope to admonish polluters, noting that tonnes of toxic waste were dumped near Caserta a day earlier. Di Donna said officials had identified dozens of similar sites across Italy, including the Venetian port of Marghera and PFAS contamination near Vicenza.
"We say to those brothers of ours ensnared in evil and seized by a mirage of fabulous earnings: 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," the bishop said.
Families' Stories
Angelo Venturato, whose daughter Maria died of cancer at 25, expressed hope to speak with the pope about their reality "not for me … for the next generation." Filomena Carolla presented the pope with a book about her daughter Tina De Angelis, who died of cancer at 24. "I'm just angry at the people who poisoned the soil, because what did our children have to do with it?" she said.
The pope later greeted mayors of the 90 affected communities and thousands of people waving yellow flags and chanting "Papa Leone" along his route. Pope Francis had planned to visit the area in 2020 but cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.
