Pope Leo XIV will end a three-day visit to Lebanon on Tuesday (2 December), concluding his first overseas trip as Catholic leader with an urgent appeal for peace in the Middle East and a warning that humanity’s future is threatened by the world’s bloody conflicts.
The first U.S. pope, Leo will pray at the site of the 2020 chemical blast at Beirut port and lead a large waterfront Mass expected to draw around 100,000 people before departing for Rome with his delegation at about 1:15 pm (1115 GMT).
Leo has repeatedly said he is on a “mission of peace” and urged Lebanon’s political leaders to persist with reconciliation efforts following last year's devastating conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, as well as continued Israeli strikes.
The Pontiff largely unknown internationally before becoming pope in May, has been closely watched as he delivered his first overseas speeches and engaged with crowds outside predominantly Catholic Italy.
During a meeting on Monday with leaders from Lebanon’s diverse religious sects, he called on Christian, Sunni and Shi’ite Muslim, and Druze figures to work together to mend the country after years of political paralysis, conflict and economic collapse that have driven waves of migration.
He urged them to demonstrate that communities of different traditions “can live together and build a country united by respect and dialogue”.
The 70-year-old pontiff arrived in Lebanon after a visit to Türkiye, the first leg of his regional trip.
‘Pain after pain’
Many Lebanese see the visit as a moment of encouragement. Maroun al-Mallah, a 21-year-old landscape engineering student who volunteered at the Mass site, said the trip offered a rare sense of optimism.
“It was lovely to know there was a sign of hope coming back to Lebanon,” he told Reuters.
“Even in university, we just think what could come next. It’s just pain after pain after pain …especially after the third biggest explosion happened.”
The 2020 Beirut port explosion killed 200 people and caused billions in damage, but the investigation has been repeatedly stalled, with no one held accountable.
Leo is expected to pray at the blast site, lay a wreath at a memorial, and meet survivors and relatives of the victims. He will also visit a psychiatric hospital run by Franciscan nuns.
Lebanon home to the largest Christian population in the Middle East, has been further destabilised by the spillover from the Gaza conflict and the war between Israel and Hezbollah, culminating in a destructive Israeli offensive.
The country is also grappling with a crippling economic crisis, compounded by hosting around one million Syrian and Palestinian refugees.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity, despite Tehran's denials, and that unfrozen Iranian asset...
Apple is facing a £3 billion lawsuit in the United Kingdom after a competition tribunal approved a major collective action over its iCloud storage se...
Iran has strengthened ties with regional partners and agreed a roadmap for technical talks with the U.S. aimed at securing a final peace agreement wit...
Belgium has issued 24-hour visas to a Taliban delegation attending European Union migration talks in Brussels, as EU member states explore ways to ret...
The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded more than 1,000 confirmed Ebola cases for the first time in the current outbreak, with infections rising...
Belgium has issued 24-hour visas to a Taliban delegation attending European Union migration talks in Brussels, as EU member states explore ways to return some Afghans convicted of serious crimes or considered security threats.
Amnesty International has accused the European Union of being complicit in human rights abuses after authorities in eastern and western Libya intensified a crackdown on migrants and refugees through mass arrests, detentions and expulsions.
Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of Scotland's governing Scottish National Party (SNP), has been jailed for five years and three months after admitting to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 13-year period
Germany is preparing for one of the most significant reforms of its pension system in decades, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz backs proposals aimed at safeguarding retirement incomes in the face of rapid demographic change.
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
Cape Verde’s remarkable FIFA World Cup debut continued on Sunday (21 June) as the tournament newcomers held Uruguay to a 2-2 draw. Goalkeeper Vozinha was once again at the centre of the story, this time with his mother watching from the stands.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a landmark internet deal that will allow traffic to pass through Azerbaijani networks.It's the latest deal to highlight the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Apple is facing a £3 billion lawsuit in the United Kingdom after a competition tribunal approved a major collective action over its iCloud storage service.
Amnesty International has accused the European Union of being complicit in human rights abuses after authorities in eastern and western Libya intensified a crackdown on migrants and refugees through mass arrests, detentions and expulsions.
Belgium has issued 24-hour visas to a Taliban delegation attending European Union migration talks in Brussels, as EU member states explore ways to return some Afghans convicted of serious crimes or considered security threats.
Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of Scotland's governing Scottish National Party (SNP), has been jailed for five years and three months after admitting to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 13-year period
Germany is preparing for one of the most significant reforms of its pension system in decades, as Chancellor Friedrich Merz backs proposals aimed at safeguarding retirement incomes in the face of rapid demographic change.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment