Pope Leo travels to Lebanon on Sunday to deliver an appeal for peace in a country repeatedly struck by Israeli air raids, completing the second and final leg of his first overseas trip as head of the Catholic Church.
The first U.S. pope arrives from Türkiye, where he spent four days warning that humanity’s future is in danger because of the world’s growing number of violent conflicts and condemning all acts of religiously motivated violence.
Leo is set to land at Beirut’s Hariri International Airport at 3:45 p.m. (1345 GMT). He will meet the president and prime minister before addressing national leaders, marking his second speech to a foreign government.
Lebanon, home to the Middle East’s largest Christian community, has been shaken by the fallout of the Gaza conflict as Israel and Hezbollah fought a war that led to a major Israeli offensive.
Lebanese leaders – already coping with 1 million Syrian and Palestinian refugees and a deep economic crisis – fear Israel may sharply intensify its attacks in the coming months.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Friday he hoped the visit would help end Israeli strikes. Lebanon’s diverse communities have also welcomed the trip, with Druze cleric Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna saying the country “needs the glimmer of hope represented by this visit”.
Pope to visit five Lebanese cities and towns
Leo, little known internationally before his election in May, is drawing close attention as he delivers his first speeches abroad and meets people outside mainly Catholic Italy.
On Saturday, he visited Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, his first visit to a Muslim place of worship as pope. He removed his shoes as a sign of respect but did not pray as planned, surprising Vatican officials.
The 70-year-old pope has a packed schedule in Lebanon, travelling to five cities and towns from Sunday to Tuesday, when he returns to Rome. He will not visit the south, where Israeli strikes have hit.
His programme includes a prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, which killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars in damage.
He will also lead an outdoor Mass on the Beirut waterfront and visit a psychiatric hospital, one of Lebanon’s few mental health facilities, where staff and residents are eagerly awaiting him.
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies...
West Africa's Al Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on military position...
Morocco booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a convincing 3-0 victory over Canada, ending the co-host's historic run in the tourna...
Kyrgyzstan’s ex-second in command, Kamchybek Tashiev, has been convicted of plotting to overthrow the country’s President Sadyr Japarov. Tashiev a...
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported...
Pope Leo has expressed solidarity with people in Venezuela after twin earthquakes struck the country earlier this week, causing widespread damage and leaving communities in urgent need of assistance.
Pope Leo urged young people and families to embrace reconciliation and lead with dignity as he spoke at Bata Stadium in Equatorial Guinea on the final day of his Africa tour.
U.S. President Donald Trump forcefully criticised Pope Leo XIV late on Sunday in an unusually direct attack on the leader of the global Catholic Church, triggering a backlash from religious leaders and believers worldwide.
A mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV was illuminated on Sunday at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, continuing a centuries-old Vatican tradition marking the election of a new pope.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
West Africa's Al Qaeda affiliate, Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on military positions in Mali on Saturday and said it had seized control of at least three of them.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment