Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called on Lebanon’s political leaders to rise above division and work as genuine peacemakers, as he brought a message of hope to a country struggling with economic hardship, political deadlock and fears of renewed conflict with Israel.
Leo arrived in Beirut from Istanbul on the second leg of his first papal trip. He said he wanted to encourage the Lebanese people at a fragile moment and support the country’s Christian community, one of the most important in the Middle East.
The visit fulfilled a plan long held by his predecessor, Pope Francis, who had hoped to travel to Lebanon but was unable to do so because of the country’s crises and his own declining health.
Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system has long produced long political vacuums and repeated stalemates, including disputes over the stalled probe into the deadly 2020 Beirut port explosion. The country is also sharply divided over calls for Hezbollah to disarm after its war with Israel last year left widespread destruction.
Leo did not mention Hezbollah or the conflict directly in his address at the presidential palace, but he referred to the country’s suffering.
“You have suffered greatly from the consequences of an economy that kills, from global instability and from the radicalization of identities and conflicts,” he said. “But you have always known how to start again.”
He urged Lebanon’s leaders to seek the truth, listen to those who have suffered injustice and put the common good above personal or political interest.
The pope’s highest-profile moment will come Tuesday when he prays silently at the site of the Aug 4, 2020, port explosion, which killed more than 200 people and caused massive damage.
Many Lebanese said his presence alone was meaningful. “It shows that Lebanon is not forgotten,” said Bishop George, head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut.
Security was tight throughout the visit. After landing in Beirut with a Lebanese military escort, the pope was greeted by President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He traveled through the city in a closed popemobile as troops lined the streets and a helicopter monitored from above. His convoy entered the palace grounds as dancers performed dabke under heavy rain.
In Turkey, Leo marked a major Christian anniversary. In Lebanon, he focused on offering hope to citizens who feel abandoned by political leaders and encouraged Christians to remain in their homeland or return if they have left. Lebanon, a Muslim-majority country with a large Christian population, has long been a priority for the Vatican as Christian communities in the region continue to shrink.
“Much good can come” from the Lebanese diaspora, Leo said, but he stressed that staying and working for peace at home remained vital.
President Aoun said Christians would not leave the country. “Your Holiness, tell the world that we will not die. We will not leave, we will not despair and we will not surrender,” he said.
Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last year, Israel continues to launch near-daily airstrikes, saying they target Hezbollah. More than 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon during the war and large areas were devastated.
“The pope is coming for the sake of peace,” said Beirut resident Farah Saadeh. “We hope nothing happens after he leaves.”
Before Leo arrived, Hezbollah urged him to denounce what it called Israeli aggression. The group also told its supporters to line the pope’s route, and hundreds did so, waving Lebanese and Vatican flags.
Mounir Younes, head of a Hezbollah-linked scout group, said they wanted to show the value of coexistence. “Muslim-Christian coexistence is a great wealth that we must hold onto,” he said.
Hezbollah has alliances with several Christian parties, though the Lebanese Forces, the largest Christian bloc, opposes the group and blames it for dragging the country into war. Lebanon remains deeply split over calls for Hezbollah to give up its weapons.
Around 300 Christians from Syria traveled to Beirut to attend the pope’s meeting with young people and a public Mass on the waterfront. Syrian Christian communities have dwindled during 14 years of civil war.
“We need someone like the pope to give us hope,” said 24-year-old Dima Awwad, who came with the delegation. She said many hoped the pope would one day visit Syria as he did Lebanon.
