Overview
- Pope León XIV visited Acerra on Saturday, met families who lost relatives to pollution, and was greeted by thousands during the first papal trip to the area known as the Terra dei Fuochi.
- In speeches he condemned profiteering by companies and criminal networks and urged the destruction of a “culture of privilege” that let toxic dumping go unchecked.
- The European Court of Human Rights ruled in January 2025 that Italy failed to protect residents and ordered a commission and action plan, but current public plans allocate €2.5 billion for 85 sites while reports list at least 293 contaminated locations.
- Official health data from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità show higher mortality and cancer rates in the area, which spans about 11,000 km² and is home to roughly 3 million people across some 80 towns.
- The pope’s high-profile visit raises pressure on Rome to show concrete progress, including transparent site mapping, faster remediation, and stronger accountability for organized crime and complicit firms, with the next test being the ECHR-mandated action plan and its implementation.