Beirut
—
Pope Leo XIV began a three-day visit to Lebanon, in the heart of the Middle East, which has been battered by recent conflicts, on Sunday, arriving in the Lebanese capital Beirut in hopes of being a “messenger of peace.”
Crowds of spectators carrying Lebanese and Vatican flags lined the streets to await the arrival of America’s first pope at the presidential palace in Baabda. Leo is expected to address the country’s authorities and civil society soon. More spectators gathered on the palace grounds to see the pope, wearing plastic raincoats under gray skies.
Leo’s visit will provide support to Lebanon’s sizable Christian minority, which has ancient roots in the country. As part of the second leg of his first foreign trip since May’s election, the pope will meet with political leaders and young people, take part in an interfaith gathering and celebrate Mass on Beirut’s waterfront.
Mr Leo is also expected to continue calling for dialogue and unity amid rising tensions in the region and days after Israeli forces attacked southern Beirut.
The airstrike, which targeted Hezbollah chief of staff Haitham Ali Tabatabai, killed five people and injured 28 others, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said.
Shortly before arriving in Beirut, Leo told reporters on the papal plane that he had come to Lebanon and Turkey, the first ports of his tour, as a “messenger” to “promote peace throughout the region.”
He also reiterated the Holy See’s support for a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, saying it was the only way to provide “a solution to their perpetual conflict.”
“We aim to be a facilitator on both sides to help bring us closer to a solution that provides justice for all,” Leo said.
Leo’s tour stops at the Monastery of Mar Maroun, or St. Maroun, located in the town of Anaya high in the mountains of Lebanon. There he will pray at the tomb of Charbel Makhlouf, a monk known for bringing people of different faiths together.
Lebanon has 18 officially recognized faiths and sects, including 12 Christian communities, with Shia Muslims currently the largest single sect in Lebanon. Leo will meet privately with Muslim and Druze leaders as well as Christian leaders.
On Tuesday, the last day of his visit, Leo will pray at the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion that killed more than 200 people and injured at least 6,000. They will then depart for Rome, the capital of Italy.
Earlier this week, Leo appealed to Catholics to unite their faith and unite others “regardless of ethnicity, nationality, religion or personal point of view,” while condemning the use of religion to justify “war.”
“We must strongly reject the use of religion to justify war, violence, or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism,” Leo reflected.
Leo’s visit comes at a tense time, a year after an uneasy ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hezbollah brokered by the United States.
The Vatican has been engaged in Middle East diplomacy for many years, and in 2021, the late Pope Francis welcomed Lebanese Christian leaders to the Vatican to deal with Lebanon’s political crisis. The last papal visit to Lebanon was made by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
CNN’s Ben Wedeman contributed to this report.
