Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lebanon on Sunday, the second and final stop of his first foreign trip as head of the Catholic Church, where he is expected to make a strong appeal for peace, Al-Mayadeen news agency reported.
Upon his arrival, Lebanese soldiers fired 21 shells as a welcoming gesture. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Speaker of Parliament Navi Berri welcomed him. Large crowds also lined Airport Avenue to welcome the pope.
The Pope ended his four-day visit to Beirut from Turkey, warning of the “danger to the future of humanity” from an unprecedented number of violent conflicts around the world and condemning the use of religion to justify bloodshed.
He will meet with the president of the republic, the Arab world’s only Christian head of state, and address authorities and diplomats at the presidential palace later in the afternoon.
Lebanon declared two official holidays on the occasion and strict security measures were implemented.
The country, which has the highest percentage of Christians in West Asia, has continued to face continued Israeli aggression over the past year despite a declared ceasefire, and there is a renewed threat of escalation if Beirut refuses to comply with Israeli demands.
Hezbollah sent a message on Saturday welcoming the pope’s visit and expressed hope that he will contribute to defending Lebanese rights.
“We look forward to the Pope’s stand in rejecting the injustice and aggression inflicted on our homeland of Lebanon at the hands of the Zionist invaders and their supporters,” the message said.
Pope Leo
Since 2019, the country has grappled with economic collapse, political paralysis, currency devaluation, the devastating Beirut port explosion in 2020, and Israel’s ongoing invasion of Lebanon.