Pope Leo decries corporate profits made at cost of public health, environment

ACERRA, Italy: Pope Pope Leo XIV on Saturday criticised companies pursuing “dizzying” profits at the expense of the environment, during a visit to southern Italy’s toxic waste-hit region known as the “Land of Fires”.

Speaking in Acerra, near Naples, the first American pope urged the world to reject what he described as “temptations of power and enrichment” tied to practices that pollute land, water, air and communities.

The visit focused attention on an area long associated with illegal toxic waste dumping and unusually high cancer rates among residents.

Pope Leo said he had come to “gather the tears” of families who had lost loved ones to illnesses linked to environmental contamination.

Residents welcomed the pontiff waving Vatican flags and carrying pictures of relatives who had died, as the pope travelled through the town in the popemobile before meeting victims and local families.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled last year that Italian authorities had failed for decades to adequately protect residents in the area from illegal waste dumping, dating back to at least 1988.

The region, also known as the “Triangle of Death”, has faced scrutiny over links between organised crime networks and waste disposal operations.

For years, waste collection and disposal in parts of southern Italy were allegedly controlled by private operators with ties to the Camorra mafia organisation around Naples.

Pope Leo said “unscrupulous people and organisations” had been allowed to operate with impunity for too long, warning against economic interests that ignore public welfare and environmental safety.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni appointed a special task force last year to oversee environmental clean-up efforts and support affected families after the European court ruling.

The pope’s remarks come ahead of the release of his first major encyclical on Monday, which is expected to focus on artificial intelligence, including concerns over its use in warfare and its impact on workers’ rights.

The Vatican has recently signalled growing concern over the ethical and social consequences of rapidly advancing AI technologies.