Speaking to more than 300 religious leaders gathered in central Beirut’s historic Martyrs’ Square, the pontiff praised Lebanon as a living testament to interfaith coexistence at a time when such harmony often feels like a distant dream.
"You are called to be builders of peace: to confront intolerance, overcome violence, and banish exclusion, illuminating the path toward justice," Pope Leo told the assembly.
"In an age when coexistence can seem like a distant dream, the people of Lebanon, while embracing different religions, stand as a powerful reminder that fear, distrust and prejudice do not have the final word, and that unity, reconciliation, and peace are possible," he continued.
The interfaith gathering was rich in symbolism and diversity. It opened with a welcome address by Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan, followed by a Gospel reading in the Byzantine rite and a recitation from the Qur’an. Christian clergy from various Eastern rites spoke, followed by prominent Muslim leaders.
Lebanon’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, the country’s highest Sunni authority, described Lebanon as “a land of message, its bearer, and a guardian of peace and security worldwide.” Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, deputy head of the Higher Islamic Shia Council, added a heartfelt plea: “We are not fond of carrying arms, and we place Lebanon’s cause in your hands, hoping the world will help our country find salvation.”
The ceremony was interspersed with moving musical performances by the Sistema Beirut Chants choir, the Islamic Orphanage chorus, and singers from the Imam al-Sadr Foundation — groups that draw children and youth from across Lebanon’s religious and social divides, using music as a bridge in a fractured society.
Crowds lined the rain-slicked streets from the Apostolic Nunciature in northern Beirut to the city center, waving Vatican and Lebanese flags as the pope’s motorcade passed. Many had traveled from displaced communities in the south or the Bekaa Valley, carrying portraits of Leo XIV and banners reading “Welcome, Messenger of Peace.”
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lebanon on Sunday afternoon after concluding a three-day visit to Türkiye, where he had commemorated the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. His flight from Istanbul touched down at Rafic Hariri International Airport under gray skies, where he was greeted by President Joseph Aoun, political leaders, and thousands of cheering faithful.
This three-day apostolic journey to Lebanon — the first foreign trip of his papacy — fulfills a longstanding wish of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who had repeatedly expressed a desire to visit the country but was prevented by age, health issues, and escalating violence.
Lebanon’s importance to the Holy See has long transcended its small size. Once dubbed “a message” of coexistence by Pope John Paul II, the country is the only one in the Arab world where Christians still hold significant political power, including the presidency, which by constitutional tradition is reserved for a Maronite Catholic. Yet the community has been hemorrhaging members through emigration, worsened by the 2019 financial collapse, the catastrophic 2020 Beirut port explosion, and the 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Against that backdrop, Pope Leo’s visit carries deep emotional and political weight. In his arrival address at the presidential palace on Sunday, he urged Lebanese leaders never to grow weary in the pursuit of peace, saying: “The commitment and love for peace know no fear in the face of apparent defeat.”
On Monday evening, after the interfaith event, the pope was scheduled to meet privately with young people from across Lebanon’s confessional spectrum, followed by a prayer service at the Basilica of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.
As he prepares to depart Beirut on Tuesday, Pope Leo XIV leaves behind a nation clinging to fragile hope — and a clear message: that even in the heart of the Middle East’s turmoil, the ancient ideal of living together in difference is not lost, but must be rebuilt, day by day, with courage and mutual forgiveness.
