ROME, Italy – It's quite amazing to read headlines about the Pope "forgiving" John Lennon for suggesting, 40 years ago, that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.In fact the Pope didn't forgive Lennon. Not because he holds grudges against the late pop star, but because he has more pressing issues to attend.

When I visited the newsroom of the Vatican newspaper which recently praised the Beatles and "their unique alchemy of words and sounds" I met the newly appointed editor in chief. He must have been in his mid-fifties and admitted to being a Beatles fan. Clearly, that did not preclude him from getting one of the highest journalistic jobs inside the Vatican.

He told me the newspaper has changed a lot since he arrived a few months ago. In fact between a papal sermon and a prayer, the daily now has extensive coverage of foreign affairs and arts and culture.

The Beatles are not the first rock band to find room in it: Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley all got high marks in recent articles.

So how did the story come about? Simple: the editor and two other colleagues, all Beatles fans, found themselves one day humming "Ob-la-di Ob-la-da life goes on bra..." in the corridors of the Vatican-based newspaper.

The song was included in the Beatles' "White Album," which this November 22 celebrated its 40th anniversary.

What a good opportunity to write something about the band, the Vatican journalist thought. But what about that spat 40 years ago? Oh, that, yeah right... nah, not a big deal. The reporter got away writing it was just "just bragging by a young English working-class musician who had grown up in the age of Elvis and rock ‘n' roll and suddenly became famous."

Little did he know his story would make the world's headlines.

NAPLES, Italy – Dear In the Field readers, thank you for your comments on my first blog about the Naples trash crisis.

A woman adds to the trash pile.

I met Roberto Saviano, the author of Gomorra, and interviewed him on the subject several weeks ago. You can watch my report on CNN.com/videos (type "mafia writer" in the search box). Perhaps this report will provide you with some answers to your questions.

As to why it took 14 years to come up with a "garbage czar," well it isn't entirely true. He is the ninth such official to get the job. They all failed in the past. This one has more powers, a stronger government backing him and he will be able to use the military to protect sites which otherwise would remain in the hands of the local population.

And when I speak about "locals", I don't necessarily mean "residents." Locals are also people connected to the organized crime (known in that region as the Camorra), whose businesses thrive wherever there is an emergency. And when there is an emergency, emergency funds are usually released, often bypassing antiracketeering legislation. The longer the emergency, the more money is being devolved in trying to solve it, and that is why the garbage problem is a never ending story. More than 20 local officials, including a former mayor and the president of the Campania region are being investigated for mismanagement and in some cases for collusion with the local mafia. A few have already been convicted.

The garbage crisis is a toxic combination of government inefficiency, mafia interference and citizens' inability to understand the value of recycling. In fact if you watch my previous reports on the garbage situation in Naples you will notice that brand new recycling bins are being totally ignored and are being used instead as barricades. Berlusconi called in the army because he knows that without strong authority the local mafia will continue to make sure that the problem doesn't get resolved.

Watch videos:

• Garbage politics in Naples
• Stinky streets
• Mountains of trash

It is possible that over the next few months we may see some clashes between "locals who don't want the landfills in their backyards" and riot police (I doubt the army will get into that fight). Those locals are not residents, but mainly thugs and petty criminals enrolled by local chieftains to create havoc and to give the impression that the problem can't be solved.

This has been the ongoing problem for almost 15 years, and everybody benefited from it, except the REAL residents, who are forced to live next to garbage blocking their children's school entrances and their bus stops. In fact the running joke in Naples is that if you want to know where the Mafia bosses live, look for the clean streets.

These REAL residents, as I like to call them, are too weak and in some cases too afraid to speak up against the Camorra. So yes, you are right; no one should ever forget that organized crime is partly responsible for this mess. But ever since waste management has become a business, and a good business at that, organized crime the world over has tried to grab a piece of the action (if you are familiar with the series "The Sopranos," guess what Tony the boss is involved in?). But nowhere in the world where I have lived (and I have been in some pretty horrible places in Russia and the Balkans before moving to lovely Rome) have I seen mountains of uncollected garbage rotting in the streets for years.

So let us agree on this. The Camorra is partially responsible, but the failure of the Italian State to deal with the issue for such a long time is perhaps just as embarrassing.

NAPLES, Italy - The problem stinks, there is no question about it. But what really enrages most people here in Naples is that it has been ongoing for almost 15 years and nothing serious has been done to solve it.

A firefighter extinguishes burning rubbish in a street in central Naples.

Some $3 billion has been allocated in emergency funds over that period of time, but no one is really sure how that money was spent. One local newspaper suggested that 20 percent of that money was used to pay the salaries of those in charge of solving it. I can't confirm it, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was true.
 
When I was there on Wednesday, Naples city center did look somewhat different. To make sure that mountains of trash didn't get in the way of journalists covering the first ever cabinet meeting taking place here (and there were hundreds of us), city officials magically managed to clean up the area surrounding the location where Berlusconi arrived with his ministers.

But less than 20 minutes away by car, the situation looked as dire and desperate as ever. No television pictures or words could ever convey the disgust that one feels walking along mountains of garbage that have been piling up in some areas for more than a year.

I bumped into a woman who gingerly walked out of her flat, crossed the street, and carefully deposited a bag full of trash next to a pile that was as wide and long as a basketball court. I asked her whether all this didn't disgust her. "Of course" she replied. "But I have nowhere else to trash it."

It's sad. No, let me rephrase, it is disgusting and embarrassing. As it is embarrassing to see empty garbage bins, some of them brand new, overturned in the middle of the road next to a pile of garbage covering a sidewalk half way. "It's a form of protest," said one bystander.

I'm here in Naples because the newly elected prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, promised to solve this problem. Can he succeed there were so many before have failed? Honestly, I don't know, but I have the distinct impression that if he can't, then no one really will.

He has appointed a new "garbage czar". Nothing new, you will say, since he is the ninth such official to having been given the job to solve the problem over the last 14 years. But this is the guy who heads the civil protection unit in this country, tasked with – among other things – dealing with natural disasters such as volcano eruptions, earthquakes, floods and forest fires.

Now he will deal with garbage, a man made disaster that has reach unnatural proportions.

Oh, one more thing. If you are one of those Naples residents (like there are many around the world who don't like to live near landfills), don't bother to demonstrate and obstruct government plans to open the new sites: They have been declared military zone, and if you breach it you will be arrested, prosecuted and could face up to five years in jail.

That is why I think Berlusconi will may succeed where other failed. But it will be painful. Buckle up because it is going to be a bumpy ride.