Pope Leo is preparing to visit Lebanon later this year, the country’s most senior Catholic cleric announced on Wednesday, in what would mark the new pontiff’s first trip abroad since taking office.
Cardinal Bechara Rai, head of the 3.5-million-strong Maronite Catholic Church, told al-Arabiya television that the pope would travel to Lebanon “by December”, though he did not specify a date and said only that preparations were under way.
A Lebanese official familiar with the matter confirmed discussions were ongoing about a visit towards the end of the year, though no date had been finalised.
Leo, the first American pope, was elected on 8th May to succeed the late Pope Francis, who had intended to visit Lebanon but was unable to do so due to health concerns.
Lebanon is home to more than two million Catholics, according to Vatican figures.
While the Vatican did not immediately respond to Cardinal Rai’s comments, a Vatican official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed a trip was being planned and suggested it might form part of a wider tour also including Turkey.
Foreign travel has become a hallmark of the modern papacy, serving as a means of engaging local Catholic communities, advancing diplomacy and spreading the faith.
Popes frequently attract vast crowds on such visits. During his 12-year papacy, Francis undertook 47 overseas journeys to 68 countries, often choosing destinations on the margins of global attention to highlight the struggles of what he called the “peripheries” of the world.
Pope Leo is already expected to travel to Turkey in late November for events marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, held in what is now Iznik.
In a message to Lebanon earlier this month, Leo recalled the fifth anniversary of the devastating Beirut port explosion, which killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars’ worth of damage. “Beloved and suffering Lebanon remains at the centre of our prayers,” the pope said.
American popstar, Madonna had earlier called on the Pontiff to visit Gaza and "shine his light" on the children there.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday t...
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have sur...
Israel carried out heavy airstrikes on the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut on Monday (2 March), af...
Türkiye and Iran have suspended day-trip passenger crossings at their shared border, Türkiye's trade minister said Monday, as a ...
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent mil...
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
Türkiye and Iran have suspended day-trip passenger crossings at their shared border, Türkiye's trade minister said Monday, as a U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran entered its third day.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov following recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on targets in Iran, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the clerical member of Iran’s temporary leadership council under Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
The UK said it's allowing the U.S. to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iran amid escalating missile attacks, after a suspected drone strike hit a British airbase in southern Cyprus, causing limited damage.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
European Union stands with its member states in the face of any threat, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in response to the drone strike that hit Britain's Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri in southern Cyprus overnight.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 27th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment