Pope Leo has visited Beirut on his first foreign trip, bringing a message of peace in a time of turmoil – barely a week after Israeli warplanes bombed the Lebanese capital.
The American pontiff is expected to hammer home his plea for Christian-Muslim coexistence at a time when political tensions in the country are worse than they have been in years.
Lebanon has suffered from years of economic crises and political deadlock, punctuated by the 2020 explosion at Beirut’s port which killed more than 200 people, as well as being impacted by Israel’s wars with Hamas and Hezbollah.
His foreign trip is continuing on Monday after first visiting Turkey, where he joined the imam at Istanbul’s 17th-century Blue Mosque.
Thousands of enthusiastic Lebanese braved a day of rain to catch a glimpse of Leo’s motorcade as the Bishop of Rome headed out towards Annaya.
Some waved Lebanese and Vatican flags and tossed flower petals and rice on his covered popemobile in a gesture of welcome as it drove past.
Leo became the first pope to pray at the tomb of St Charbel Makhlouf, a hermit who lived from 1828 to 1898 and who is credited with miraculous healings.
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Later on Monday he was expected to meet with leaders from Lebanon’s diverse religious sects, urging them not to flee the country despite years of instability and conflict.
Lebanon is home to various religious minorities and has the largest share of Christians in the Middle East.
He urged the country’s political leaders on Sunday to persevere with peace efforts despite facing a highly complex regional situation, including spillover from the ongoing war in Gaza.
It also comes as Christians in neighbouring Syria also face difficulties amid an uncertain situation in the country following years of civil war and a revolution.
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“We have really been waiting for the pope’s visit because it is raising our hope now,” said Reverend Toni Elias, a Maronite priest from Rmeich, a Christian town close to the Israeli border.
“He has come to confirm for us that what we are living through, it will not always be like this.”
“And we believe that he brings with him the message of peace, which we really need.”
Leo’s schedule also includes a prayer at the site of the 2020 chemical explosion that killed more than 200 people and levelled swathes of Beirut’s port, causing damage worth billions.
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His visit comes barely a week after Israel carried out airstrikes on Beirut – the first time in months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the bombing killed Hezbollah’s chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai.
