Pope Leo XIV to Begin Italian Pastoral Visits in Campania
Vatican City, February 19, 2026 – Pope Leo XIV is set to commence his extensive series of pastoral visits across Italy in May, with his initial stops confirmed for the Campania region. The Pontiff will visit Pompeii and Naples on May 8th, marking the first anniversary of his election, followed by a visit to Acerra on May 23rd. This announcement was made today by the Prefecture of the Papal Household, outlining a schedule that extends through August.
The choice of Campania, a region grappling with social, political, and environmental challenges yet deeply rooted in a vibrant spirituality, underscores the significance of these visits. The Pope’s itinerary includes celebrating Mass and joining the Supplica prayer in Pompeii, meeting with clergy in Naples Cathedral and the city in Piazza del Plebiscito, and a stop in Acerra, a focal point of the so-called “Land of Fires.”
Pompeii: A Marian Sanctuary and a “Stronghold of Peace”
In Pompeii, home to the world-renowned Marian Sanctuary founded by Saint Bartolo Longo, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate Mass and participate in the Supplica prayer, a devotion recited by millions of faithful in May and October. Archbishop Prelate Tommaso Caputo highlighted the prayer’s message of “peace” and noted that Pope Leo XIV’s visit marks the fourth time a Pope has visited Pompeii, following Saint John Paul II (1979, 2003), Benedict XVI (2008), and Francis (2015).
Archbishop Caputo emphasized the “prophecy” of Bartolo Longo, who, during the inauguration of the sanctuary’s facade on May 5, 1901, envisioned the representative of Christ blessing the people gathered for universal peace. “With Pope Leo XIV, those words are materialized for the fifth time in Pompeii,” he stated.
The Archbishop also drew a connection between Pope Leo XIV and the devotion to Our Lady of Pompeii, noting the continuous prayer for the Pontiff at the Sanctuary since his election. The visit coincides with the 150th anniversary of the laying of the first stone of the Sanctuary, further enhancing its significance.
Preparations for the visit are underway, with the community engaging in spiritual readiness through prayer. “The desire of all is that the Pope finds a living Church, an open and welcoming Church,” said Archbishop Caputo. He also highlighted the Church’s active charity work in the region, with numerous social initiatives assisting hundreds facing profound social hardship. “They will be the protagonists of the encounter with the Pope,” he affirmed.
Naples: A City of Faith, Fragility, and Hope
Following his visit to Pompeii, Pope Leo XIV will travel to Naples to meet with the clergy in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and with the city’s inhabitants in Piazza del Plebiscito. Cardinal Domenico Battaglia described Naples as a “passionate city, for its people and for our Church, with a deeply religious, popular, visceral soul.”
Cardinal Battaglia views the Pope’s visit as “not only an institutional event, but a meeting of love,” likening it to a father returning home to children eager for guidance. He added that the Pope’s presence in Naples will be “a caress on its wounds, but also a demanding word that calls us to coherence, justice, the protection of the little ones, and the centrality of the Gospel as the foundation of our faith and a different future possible for our land.”
The Cardinal acknowledged that Naples has seen many changes since Pope Francis’s visit nearly a decade ago. He noted that the city is striving to unite and build educational alliances, recognizing that the true emergency is cultural rather than solely economic. While experiencing a tourism boom, Naples also faces vulnerabilities, with the risk of losing its social fabric and leaving behind those not benefiting from this growth, such as those facing housing emergencies.
The Church Pope Leo XIV will encounter in Naples is a “synodal Church that listens, questions itself, and tries to give concrete answers to the fragilities of young people, also in terms of employment.” The Pope’s visit comes at a delicate time for Naples, where “growth and fragility walk hand in hand.” The Cardinal expressed the need for a guiding word that preserves humanity within development. He urged the community to translate the enthusiasm of the day into concrete actions for the city, its youth, and the poor.
Acerra: A Sign of Hope for the “Land of Fires”
Monsignor Antonio Di Donna, Bishop of Acerra, echoed similar sentiments regarding the Pope’s visit to his city, which is part of the “Land of Fires.” Acerra has been awaiting a papal visit since 2020, when Pope Francis’s planned visit was canceled due to the pandemic. “We are very happy, we are grateful to Pope Leo for having accepted the invitation to come to Acerra, as a symbol of an entire territory affected by environmental pollution,” said Bishop Di Donna.
The choice of May 23rd, the eve of the eleventh anniversary of the signing of Laudato si’, Pope Francis’s encyclical on the care for our common home, is particularly symbolic. “It is a sign of hope for the populations of this territory tried by the phenomenon of the Land of Fires,” the bishop noted.
The communities in this area, facing the realities of deaths, illnesses, toxic fires, illegal dumping, agricultural damage, and health emergencies, will receive the Pope’s embrace. Bishop Di Donna explained that these individuals are engaged in a journey of formation, education in catechesis, and, when necessary, denunciation of these issues. “It is a common journey of several dioceses that brings together pastoral workers, priests, and laypeople on the themes of Laudato si’. Therefore, a journey that goes beyond Acerra…”
Source: Vatican News
