Pope Leo ended his three day visit to Lebanon on Tuesday with a sweeping call for leaders across the Middle East to abandon conflict and respond to what he described as their people’s mounting appeals for peace. His remarks came during a large outdoor Mass on Beirut’s waterfront attended by an estimated one hundred and fifty thousand people.
The address capped the first overseas journey of his papacy, a trip that took him to Turkey and then Lebanon, where he repeatedly urged governments and religious figures to steer the region away from deepening political, social and sectarian strife.
Speaking to the crowd, Leo warned that the Middle East had endured years of devastation and that continuing on the same course would only intensify the suffering. “The path of mutual hostility and destruction has gone on far too long,” he said. “We need to change course. We need to educate our hearts for peace.”
During his stay, the pope met representatives of Lebanon’s religious communities and asked them to close ranks to help the country rebuild after years of political paralysis, economic collapse and the destructive war last year between Israel and Hezbollah. He also encouraged political leaders to remain committed to dialogue even as Israeli strikes continue to unsettle the south.
His message extended beyond Lebanon. Leo appealed to the international community “to spare no effort in promoting processes of dialogue and reconciliation” and urged those holding political or social influence to “listen to the cry of your peoples who are calling for peace”.
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In a farewell statement at Beirut’s airport before boarding his flight to Rome, Leo made his first direct mention of current hostilities. He said he had been unable to visit the southern region because it was “experiencing a state of conflict and uncertainty”. He added: “May the attacks and hostilities cease. Armed struggle brings no benefit.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun thanked him for the visit, saying Lebanon had heard his message and would “continue to embody it”.
Crowds began gathering at the waterfront hours before the Mass, waving Lebanese and Vatican flags as the pope arrived in an enclosed popemobile. Many in the crowd used umbrellas to shield themselves from the strong Mediterranean sun while Leo moved among them offering blessings.
The trip has been closely watched across the region, not only because it was his first outside Italy, but because Leo was little known internationally before his election in May. His calls for restraint and cooperation come at a moment when several Middle Eastern states face renewed tensions and ongoing displacement.