Pope ends Naples visit urging the city to become a ‘workshop of peace'
By Linda Bordoni
At the end of a long day, taking him to Pompeii and nearby Naples on the first anniversary of his pontificate, Pope Leo met and greeted an estimated 50,000 citizens gathered to be with him in the heart of Naples’ central and magnificent Piazza del Plebiscito.
Arriving in the historic square from the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, he addressed civil authorities, the city's Archbishop, Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, and the faithful, and launched an appeal for social renewal, unity, and a peace rooted in justice and lived in daily life.
Having expressed gratitude for the extremely warm welcome, which he compared to the "embrace" of the Bernini colonnade in the Vatican's St Peter's Square, he immediately turned his attention to the city's social and spiritual condition.
A city marked by beauty and wounds
Reflecting on the Gospel account of the disciples of Emmaus, he described Naples as a city marked by both extraordinary beauty and deep wounds.
He recalled voices rising from the city—voices of beauty, but also of poverty, fear, and disorientation—comparing them to the tired and disheartened disciples who encounter Christ on the road.
“What truly matters?” he asked, inviting citizens to rediscover meaning in a context often undermined by fatigue, indifference, and social fragmentation.
The Pope noted the paradox facing Naples: a growing tourism sector that does not translate into broad economic inclusion, alongside persistent inequality. He pointed to unemployment, school dropout rates, lack of services, and the influence of organized crime as signs of a “geography of inequality” that now affects both the center and the peripheries of the city. In this context, he stressed, the presence of public institutions is essential to restore trust, security, and opportunity.
The everyday heroes
At the same time, Pope Leo XIV praised the many “everyday heroes” of Naples—men and women who quietly work for justice, truth, and dignity. Their efforts, he said, must not remain isolated, but be woven into a shared “network of good” that strengthens the entire social fabric.
He highlighted the role of the Church as a “bond of communion” in the city, particularly through its commitment to an educational pact involving civil institutions, the Church, and civil society. This collaboration, he insisted, must not weaken, but deepen, as a shared mission for the future of the city.
A “workshop of peace”
A central theme of the Pope’s address was peace. Naples, he said, is not called to be a mere “postcard city,” but a “workshop of peace,” where reconciliation is built in daily relationships, in neighborhoods, and in concrete acts of justice and education. “There is no peace without justice,” he affirmed, “and justice is not complete without charity.”
He pointed to concrete signs of hope, including initiatives such as houses of welcome for vulnerable families and support centers for those in difficulty, describing them as living expressions of a peace that becomes hospitality, care, and new beginnings.
Signs of renewal
Pope Leo XIV also praised efforts to make Naples a platform for intercultural and interreligious dialogue, including initiatives involving young people from conflict zones.
He highlighted the city’s long tradition of welcoming migrants and refugees, calling it not an emergency response but an opportunity for encounter and mutual enrichment, and throughout his address, the Pope returned repeatedly to the role of young people. Far from being passive recipients, he said, they are protagonists of renewal.
From cultural projects to parish initiatives and charitable service, young Neapolitans, he said, are already shaping “signs of a renewed city and a renewed Church.”
Concluding his visit, Pope Leo XIV entrusted the people of Naples to the intercession of the Virgin Mary and to the city’s beloved patron saint – San Gennaro (Saint Januarius), encouraging them to continue walking together with courage and hope.
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