Pope Leo XIV arrives in Lebanon; urges Lebanese Christians to remain in homeland

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lebanon’s capital at Beirut on Sunday, declaring his  intent to act as a messenger of peace as he began a three-day visit to a nation  struggling with the consequences of recent conflict. He flew to Beirut from Turkey, where he concluded his three-day visit. His arrival came only days after an Israeli strike on southern Beirut, sharpening the sense of urgency that  framed the visit. Leo urged Lebanese people not to abandon their homeland despite what he described as an exodus of young people and families driven away by uncertainty, violence, poverty and a host of other pressures.

The visit comes at a moment of deep political fragility. Lebanon is still contending with the aftermath of the war last year between Israel and Hezbollah, the predominantly Shia Muslim armed movement and political party. Although a ceasefire has held for a year, Israeli strikes have continued, prompting fears that a renewed conflict could erupt. Israel has long expressed frustration over Hezbollah’s presence and entrenchment in the south. The conflict has exacerbated sectarian divisions that have never fully healed since the end of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war in 1990. The country’s political landscape remains shaped by its three principal demographic communities: Maronite Catholics and Orthodox Christians, Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims. Each group wields significant influence, and each constitutes roughly a third of the population.

Lebanon occupies a distinctive position in the Arab world as the only country in the region with a Christian head of state and the largest proportion of Christians overall. It has historically been regarded as a bulwark for the Church in the Middle East. Yet even with their relative demographic strength, Christian communities continue to fear marginalisation.

Last year’s war left Hezbollah considerably weakened, and the Lebanese government has since intensified efforts to disarm the group and dismantle what critics describe as its evolution into a state within a state. Hezbollah’s leaders have refused to surrender their arsenal, fuelling anxiety among many Lebanese that attempts to force disarmament could trigger another internal conflict.

Against this tense backdrop, Leo set out to reinforce a message of peace directed squarely at the country’s political leadership. Upon landing in Beirut he appealed to Lebanon’s leaders to make peace their highest priority, describing it as both a desire and a vocation. He emphasised the need for persistence when working towards peace, warning that commitment and love for peace should not falter in the face of apparent setbacks.

His first major action in Lebanon was a series of meetings with the country’s senior political figures. He reminded them that their roles required dedication to the service of their people. The Pope met Christian President Joseph Aoun, Shia Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Sunni Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. During his address to a packed chamber in the presidential palace he invoked the word peace more than 20 times, urging leaders to put themselves with commitment and dedication at the service of the nation. He encouraged all Lebanese citizens to choose the path of reconciliation.

One of the central elements of his message was a plea for Christians to remain in Lebanon and remain a vital presence in the Middle East. He urged families to show real courage and foresight by resisting the temptation to emigrate, acknowledging the difficulties but stressing the importance of their continued presence. Anticipation for the Pope’s visit had been high. Patriarch Bechara al Rahi, head of the Maronite Catholic Church, said the Pope’s decision to visit a country that is still effectively at war carried immense significance, offering hope at a moment when many Lebanese feel abandoned. While the visit provided a notable boost to the Christian third of the population, it drew support across all major faiths. The government declared a two-day national holiday, and even Hezbollah extended greetings and appreciation for the Pope’s presence, with some supporters waving the group’s flags along his motorcade route.

The Pope’s schedule in Lebanon is packed, culminating in a Mass expected to attract thousands at Beirut’s port. The port, still a derelict ruin following the catastrophic 2020 explosion, remains a potent symbol of Lebanon’s chronic mismanagement and corruption. Notably, the Pope chose not to visit the south, which has been the main target of Israeli strikes, and avoided mentioning Israel directly in his remarks.

Lebanon marks the second stage of Leo’s first overseas trip as pope, which began in Turkey. On arrival in Ankara he held private talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In public remarks the Pope warned that humanity’s future was threatened by the unprecedented number of violent conflicts around the world, and he denounced all forms of violence carried out in the name of religion. He said he and Erdogan had discussed the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, adding that Turkey had an important role to play in efforts to end both conflicts. Despite addressing the situation in Gaza, the Pope refrained from referencing Israel’s conduct directly while in Turkey.

During the flight from Turkey to Lebanon, he reiterated the Vatican’s longstanding commitment to a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, describing it as the only solution capable of securing justice for both peoples. He repeated the Holy See’s support for a Palestinian state comprising East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Acknowledging that Israel does not currently accept this framework, the Pope insisted that it remained the sole viable path towards resolving the decades-long dispute. He suggested that the Vatican could act as a mediating voice, saying it has friendly relations with Israel and wanted to bring both sides closer.