Italian priest relives Pope Leo’s historic pastoral visit to Acerra

Pope Leo XIV visited Acerra, the "Land of Fires" (Terra dei Fuochi) on May 23, 2026.

Fr. Luigi Pugliese serves as Rector of the Ave Maria Gratia Plena Shrine, known as the Shrine of the Annunciation, in Giugliano in Campania, and was particularly touched by the Holy Father's gestures and words.

The Pope, he said, came to “comfort us. He visited and comforted families affected by toxic waste dumping.”

The criminally linked dumping and illegal burning of toxic waste in the area have caused severe environmental damage and elevated cancer rates.

During the visit, Pope Leo was uncompromising in his denunciation of the greed and systemic indifference that had created the crisis in the area.

“My land, unfortunately, is known as the 'Land of Fires,” said Fr. Pugliese. “It is a land of many wounds caused by the toxic waste. We bear the marks of these wounds through disease, especially various cancers. But there are other hidden wounds as well—a poor education system, unemployment, young people into drugs, superstitious beliefs, depression, and that malaise of life which often extinguishes hope. Pope Leo came to rekindle the embers of that hope.”

“Among the words that summarise the significance of the Holy Father’s visit and words that left us with a great comfort and commitment is ‘dignity.’ The dignity of the human person cannot be sacrificed for economic interests, profit, or partisan logic,” Fr. Pugliese said, adding that the dignity of the human person needs to be defended at all costs.