Pope Leo XIV greeted residents and civic leaders in the southern Italian town of Acerra on May 23, a region marred by toxic wastes but possessing what the pope said was "beauty no injustice can ever erase."
"In life, we come to understand that the more fragile a beauty is, the greater the care and responsibility it demands," the pope told the crowd in Acerra's Piazza Calipari.
The Holy Father arrived in the small town earlier in the day for a brief pastoral visit. Acerra is located about 130 miles southeast of Rome.
After meeting with local Church leaders at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption, the pope headed to the piazza, where he said he was "delighted" to spend the Saturday morning with the crowd of around 15,000.
The pope's visit to the Land of Fires came on the 11th anniversary of the late Pope Francis's landmark environmental encyclical Laudato Si'. Acerra has for years suffered environmental fallout due to the dumping of waste materials in the region.
Yet "life is present here, and it stands in opposition to death; justice exists, and it will prevail," the pope said. "We must, of course, choose life and break free from the bonds of death."
"There is always a subtle convenience to be found in resignation, in compromise, and in postponing necessary and courageous decisions," he continued. "Fatalism, complaining, and shifting the blame onto others serve as a breeding ground for lawlessness and mark the beginning of a desertification of consciences."
"For this reason, I would like to say to you all: let each of us shoulder our own responsibilities; let us choose justice; let us serve life!"
The pontiff further reminded the citizens of Acerra of the need to care for creation.
"I would like to thank those 'pioneers' who, through their courageous commitment, were the first to denounce the ills plaguing this land and to draw attention to the obscured and denied reality of its poisoning," the pope said.
"I am thinking, in particular, of the members of environmental associations," the pope said. "We all know that we must stand guard over the health of creation just as we stand guard over our own front door, and that we must resist the temptations of power and enrichment linked to practices that pollute the earth, the water, the air, and our shared life."
Acerra Mayor Tito d'Errico expressed his gratitude to the pope for his presence, pointing to the significance of the Laudato Si' anniversary. "Integral ecology is not merely a label; it is a social and economic model that places the dignity of the human person at its very center," d'Errico said.
During the visit Acerra Bishop Antonio Di Donna presented the Holy Father with two precious mementos linked to Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, the patron saint of the diocese: a statue of the saint and an autograph letter.
Following the event in the piazza, the pope departed by helicopter to Rome.
This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
