ROME — In a candid in-flight press conference aboard a papal aircraft returning from his inaugural foreign trip, Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday decried rising Islamophobia across Europe as a symptom of broader exclusionary impulses, urging Western societies to draw inspiration from Lebanon's longstanding tradition of Christian-Muslim coexistence. The pontiff, the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church, emphasized that such harmony is not only feasible but essential for global peace, while also addressing escalating geopolitical tensions from the Middle East to Ukraine and Latin America.
Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955 and elected on May 8, 2025, following the death of Pope Francis, wrapped up a six-day apostolic journey to Türkiye and Lebanon that marked his debut on the international stage. The visit, spanning November 27 to December 2, 2025, focused on themes of ecumenism, interfaith dialogue, and reconciliation amid regional turmoil. Departing Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport aboard a specially chartered ITA Airways flight, the 70-year-old Augustinian friar fielded questions from journalists, offering unvarnished reflections on faith, fear, and diplomacy.
The pope's remarks on Islamophobia struck a particularly resonant chord, coming amid a surge in anti-Muslim incidents across Europe. According to a 2025 report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Islamophobic acts rose by 27% in the EU from 2024 to 2025, fueled by far-right rhetoric and migration debates. "I know that at times, fears exist in Europe, but they are often fueled by those who oppose migration and who try to exclude people coming from another country, another religion, or another ethnic background," Leo XIV said, his voice steady against the hum of the aircraft. He linked this to a broader "culture of exclusion" that undermines Christian values of hospitality.
Drawing directly from his Lebanese experiences, the pontiff highlighted the nation's unique confessional balance—roughly 60% Muslim and 40% Christian—as a blueprint for the West. Lebanon, despite its scars from civil war (1975–1990), economic collapse since 2019, and the devastating 2020 Beirut port explosion that killed over 200, has fostered interfaith solidarity. During his visit, Leo XIV witnessed this firsthand: In Beirut's Martyrs' Square, he joined Christian and Muslim leaders for a prayer vigil, and in southern villages ravaged by the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah conflict, he heard testimonies of neighbors aiding one another across religious lines. "The stories we heard in the past two days, testimonies of Muslims and Christians helping each other, even in villages that were destroyed, are important lessons that should also be heard in Europe or North America," he said. "Perhaps we should be a little less fearful and look for ways to foster real dialogue and mutual respect."
This message echoes Pope Francis's longstanding advocacy for interreligious harmony but carries a personal inflection from Leo XIV's missionary past in Peru and his Chicago roots in a diverse, immigrant-heavy community. In Türkiye, the first leg of the trip, he met Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Istanbul, signing a joint declaration on Christian unity and condemning religious polarization. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian welcomed him with similar ecumenical fervor, underscoring Lebanon's role as a "civilizational bridge" between Christianity and Islam.
Shifting to the Middle East cauldron, Leo XIV affirmed his belief in "sustainable peace" for Lebanon and Israel, revealing quiet Vatican diplomacy. Queried on leveraging his ties to U.S. President Donald Trump—re-elected in November 2024—and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially after his recent affirmation that "Israel is our friend," the pope disclosed initial contacts. "I have begun speaking to some of the leaders you mentioned, even in a very limited way, and I intend to continue doing so personally or through the Vatican," he stated. This behind-the-scenes work, he explained, predates his trip and involves persuading stakeholders to prioritize dialogue over arms. In Lebanon, he conferred with political figures entangled in local and international disputes, including indirect channels to Hezbollah.
"Yes, I saw that [Hezbollah's response]," Leo replied when asked if the group had heeded his message. "It is clear that the Church proposes the abandonment of arms and the search for dialogue. But beyond that, I prefer not to comment in this context." The pontiff's restraint reflects the Holy See's neutral stance, honed since the 1982 Israel-Lebanon war. The 2024 escalation, triggered by Hezbollah's solidarity rockets after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, culminated in a U.S.-brokered November 2024 ceasefire. Yet Israeli strikes persist—over 150 in 2025 alone—to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, heightening fears of renewed war. Leo's Mass for 150,000 on Beirut's waterfront, near the port blast site, drew tears and cheers, with pilgrims chanting "Peace! Peace!" in Arabic and French.
On Ukraine, Leo XIV positioned Europe—and Italy specifically—as indispensable to peace, critiquing early drafts of Trump's proposed plan that sidelined the continent. The war, entering its fourth year, has claimed over 500,000 lives and displaced 10 million. "Europe’s presence is in fact very important. For this reason, that initial proposal was modified in line with the concerns expressed by Europe," he noted, praising Italy's "cultural and historical capacity to act as a mediator" among Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington. The Vatican, though not a NATO member, has consistently advocated ceasefires, with Leo appointing Cardinal Matteo Zuppi as peace envoy in 2025. Trump's administration, echoing his 2024 campaign pledges, eyes Vatican-hosted talks, a prospect Leo endorsed: "The Vatican could support such mediation efforts."
Tensions with Russia loom large, with NATO-Russia frictions exacerbated by Moscow's 2025 troop surges. Leo reiterated the Holy See's non-aligned role: "We have repeatedly called for a ceasefire, for dialogue, and for the end of the war. But today, we are facing a conflict with many dimensions."
Turning to the Americas, Leo XIV voiced alarm over U.S.-Venezuela strains, where Trump's "maximum pressure" includes naval deployments and sanctions targeting Nicolás Maduro's regime. Hyperinflation lingers at 150% despite dollarization, and post-2024 election protests have killed dozens. "In such situations, those who usually suffer are not the authorities, but the people," Leo said, noting fluctuating U.S. signals—like a November 2025 Trump-Maduro call. "Statements from the United States change frequently. On one hand, it is said the two presidents have spoken by phone. On the other hand, there is this danger... including an invasion." He advocated "pathways for dialogue... perhaps economic sanctions, but in any case, a search for dialogue."
As for his travel horizon, the pope outlined ambitions tempered by the Jubilee Year of Hope. "Africa first," he affirmed, eyeing Algeria to trace St. Augustine's footsteps—the fourth-century bishop whose order he leads—and advance Christian-Muslim ties. "Just to confirm: Africa. Africa. Africa," he quipped, targeting a 2026 visit amid the continent's youth bulge and persecution hotspots like Nigeria. Latin America beckons too: Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru in 2026–2027, honoring Francis's unfulfilled promises and Leo's 20-year Peruvian mission.
Leo XIV's press conference, his first since May, revealed a pontiff at ease—joking about conclave nerves and quoting Augustine on fear's folly. His journey reinforces the Church's anti-polarization ethos. As Europe grapples with identity crises, Leo's call challenges the West to embrace, not exclude. In Lebanon, a fragile mosaic holds; globally, the pontiff insists, it can too.
