ITALY \u2014 Pope Leo XIV has begun his first series of pastoral visits across Italy since his election, bringing a message of closeness, solidarity, and hope to communities marked by faith and suffering alike.<\/p>\n
The Holy Father\u2019s first journey carried deep symbolic significance, taking place on the feast of Our Lady of Pompeii \u2014 a day that also marks the anniversary of his election to the papacy. Throughout the visit, Pope Leo emphasized the maternal presence of Mary in the life of the Church, reminding the faithful that \u201cOur Mother Mary always wants to walk at our side, to remain close to us, to help us with her intercession and her love.\u201d<\/p>\n
Papal Visits in Italy<\/p>\n
A Pilgrimage to Pompeii<\/p>\n
The Pope\u2019s itinerary began in Naples and Pompeii, home to the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, one of Italy\u2019s most important Marian pilgrimage sites, welcoming more than three million pilgrims every year.<\/p>\n
Founded in the late nineteenth century by Bartolo Longo \u2014 the former satanic priest who converted and became known as the \u201cApostle of the Rosary\u201d \u2014 the sanctuary remains a powerful symbol of conversion, healing, and Marian devotion. Pope Leo canonized Longo on Oct. 19, 2025, further strengthening the spiritual importance of the shrine for Catholics around the world.<\/p>\n
For generations, pilgrims have come to Pompeii seeking consolation, spiritual renewal, and hope through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.<\/p>\n
A Papal Visit to the \u201cLand of Fires\u201d<\/p>\n
The next stop on Pope Leo XIV\u2019s pastoral itinerary will take him to Acerra on May 23, where he will become the first pope to visit the heart of the so-called \u201cLand of Fires.\u201d<\/p>\n
The region has long been plagued by illegal dumping, unauthorized landfills, and the burning of toxic waste, releasing dangerous pollutants into the air and contributing to growing health concerns among residents. Pope Francis had planned to visit the area in 2020, but the trip was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
Bishop Antonio Di Donna, president of the Campania Episcopal Conference, acknowledged that many in the community had almost lost hope that a papal visit would ever happen. \u201cMy colleagues, but above all the people, kept asking me: isn\u2019t the Pope coming?\u201d he said, explaining that he decided to make one final appeal to the Holy Father. \u201cPope Leo immediately accepted my request.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the visit, Pope Leo XIV is expected to meet with local bishops, encounter families who have lost loved ones or suffered illnesses connected to toxic pollution, and travel through the city aboard the popemobile. Together with residents, he will also recite the Prayer of Creation from Laudato Si\u2019, reaffirming the Church\u2019s commitment to caring for creation and defending human dignity.<\/p>\n
According to Bishop Di Donna, the Pope is coming \u201cto strengthen our commitment, to encourage us, and to bring renewed attention to the issue of caring for creation \u2014 a truly defining challenge of our time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stories of Loss and Service<\/p>\n
For many families in Acerra, the environmental crisis is deeply personal.<\/p>\n
Angelo Venturato lost his daughter Maria to cancer when she was just 20 years old. The disease began in her leg before spreading to her lungs. Recalling their first encounter with doctors, Venturato said the experience was devastating. \u201cThe first thing they asked us was: where are you from? We said Acerra. He lowered his head and said: unfortunately, you are not the only ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
Out of that suffering was born an association inspired by a tattoo Maria shared with her father: \u201cIf you reach out your hand, you will find mine.\u201d Today, Venturato and his family dedicate themselves to transporting cancer patients free of charge to hospitals and treatment centers while also distributing wigs to those undergoing chemotherapy.<\/p>\n
Venturato explained that years passed before he was financially able to begin the project after exhausting his savings caring for his daughter. He credited Bishop Di Donna\u2019s support for helping make the initiative possible, saying, \u201cI never could have done it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Church\u2019s Presence in a Suffering Land<\/p>\n
Fear and uncertainty continue to weigh heavily on many residents of the region. Vincenzo Castaldo, director of Caritas Acerra, said some people have become so discouraged that they avoid medical examinations altogether, often saying, \u201cbetter not to know, we\u2019re going to die anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
Castaldo admitted that hearing such words is painful for the Church, which seeks to remain close to those suffering.<\/p>\n
In response to the growing needs of the community, the Diocese of Acerra has expanded its outreach through a medical clinic established within diocesan facilities, offering free access to healthcare and assistance. Castaldo described the initiative as \u201ca gesture of tenderness\u201d from the Church toward the people of the area.<\/p>\n
The Diocese has also transformed part of the bishop\u2019s residence into a community space for struggling families, migrants, and vulnerable residents living in overcrowded conditions in the historic center of Acerra.<\/p>\n
A Call for Justice and Hope<\/p>\n
Advocates continue to push for accountability and environmental cleanup in the Land of Fires. The Association for the Implementation of the ECHR Ruling is monitoring Italy\u2019s compliance with a January 2025 ruling from the European Court of Human Rights, which condemned the Italian state for violating the right to life because of hazardous waste pollution.<\/p>\n
Association president Valentina Centonze said the ruling clearly calls for the cleanup of contaminated land and highlights years of political failure in protecting public health.<\/p>\n
For Centonze and many others, Pope Leo XIV\u2019s upcoming visit represents more than a symbolic gesture. She described it as \u201ca moment of great courage\u201d for a community that often feels abandoned while facing a crisis too large to confront alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe closeness of the Holy Father to our land is without question a source of comfort and support,\u201d she said, adding that the visit may also encourage leaders to take the environmental emergency more seriously.<\/p>\n
As Pope Leo XIV continues these first pastoral visits across Italy, his message remains consistent: the Church must remain close to those who suffer, offering not only words of compassion, but also renewed hope rooted in faith, solidarity, and care for human dignity.<\/p>\n
Adapt\u00e9 par Jacob Stein<\/p>\n