The Pope spent three days in Lebanon.Image: keystone
12/02/2025, 3:52 p.m12/02/2025, 4:09 p.m
In front of around 150,000 believers in Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV called for a new social cohesion in the crisis-stricken country.
«Lebanon, get up again! Be a house of justice and brotherhood! Be a harbinger of peace for the entire Levant!», said the head of the Catholic Church at a large mass in Beirut.
Everyone has to make their contribution and the country can only do so together “return to its former glory”. The only way to achieve this is an end to political isolation and ethnic tensions. The Pope explained in his homily that people must open religious borders for real encounters and “reawaken the dream of a united Lebanon” within themselves.
Thunderous applause for Leo
Lebanon is characterized by the coexistence of different religions. Muslims – Sunnis and Shiites – and Christians live in the country. The country is currently experiencing the worst economic crisis in its historymany people live in poverty. The tense security situation following the war between Hezbollah and Israel is particularly affecting the country.
Hours before the service began, thousands of people flocked to the Beirut Waterfront not far from the Lebanese capital’s marina to see the Pope at mass. When Leo arrived in the closed Popemobile, people waved Lebanese and Vatican flags and welcomed him with thunderous applause.
The mass marks the end of Leo’s first trip abroad since his election as pontiff more than six months ago. He first visited Turkey and then Lebanon. In the afternoon he flies back to Rome.
Silent remembrance at the site of the port explosion
Earlier, Leo prayed at the site of the devastating explosion at Beirut’s port five years ago. Relatives of some of the more than 200 people killed in the blast held photos of their loved ones as the pope arrived at the site. Leo first remained in quiet reverence in the middle of the rubble, then he greeted some of the relatives and chatted with them.
The Pope at the scene of the explosion in the port of Beirut.Image: keystone
Urgent appeal for peace
The Pope called for an immediate end to all armed conflicts in Lebanon. «The attacks and hostilities must stop. Nobody should believe that armed fighting can bring about any good,” said the head of the Catholic Church in Beirut before his flight back to Rome. He added:
“Weapons kill, but negotiation, mediation and dialogue build up.”
At the airport in the Lebanese capital, he made an urgent call for peace at the end of his first trip abroad since his election: “Let us all choose peace as a path, not just a destination!”said Leo.
Tense security situation in Lebanon
After the open war between the Hezbollah militia and Israel, the security situation is tense. A ceasefire has been in effect for a year. Recently, however, the situation had become significantly worse again.
Israel attacks targets in the south of Lebanon almost daily; according to the United Nations, almost 130 civilians have been killed since the ceasefire came into force. Shortly before the Pope’s departure, presumably Israeli drones were again heard over Beirut.
In Lebanon, Leo stayed mainly in Beirut, he also visited several Christian places in the area around the capital. He does not visit the south of the country. He now greeted the people in this region, “which is particularly affected by conflict and insecurity.” He hoped to include the entire Middle East in his trip in a spirit of fraternity and commitment to peace. (rbu/sda/dpa)