Beirut

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lebanon on Sunday on a mission to reassure a nation battered by economic collapse, political paralysis and the fallout of war. The visit fulfils the long-delayed wish of Pope Francis, who had hoped to travel before his health declined.

Lebanon is the second stop of Leo’s first foreign tour after Turkiye, where he prayed at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral and joined Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for a liturgy. In Istanbul, he praised the endurance of Armenians through “tragic circumstances,” avoiding the sharper language used by Francis, who had called the World War I-era killings a genocide.

In Beirut, Leo was greeted by President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam before travelling in a closed popemobile — a rare security step. The Vatican sees Lebanon, where about a third of the population is Christian, as essential to preserving Middle Eastern Christianity.

Church leaders said the visit comes at a time of deep uncertainty, with many Lebanese fearing a return to full-scale conflict with Israel. The country has been reeling from the 2019 financial collapse and the 2020 port explosion, which killed 218 people. On Tuesday, Leo will pray at the blast site and meet survivors, amid public frustration that no officials have been held accountable.

Leo is also expected to focus on young people, many of whom have emigrated, offering encouragement while acknowledging their disillusionment.

The visit unfolds as Israel continues near-daily strikes in Lebanon despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah. Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters lined the pope’s convoy route, calling for him to denounce Israeli attacks. The group said it wanted to highlight Muslim-Christian unity; some Christian parties, however, blame Hezbollah for dragging Lebanon into war.

Hundreds of Syrian Christians — a minority hit hard during Syria’s long civil war and recent sectarian violence — travelled to Beirut to join papal events. Many expressed hope that Leo’s presence would help reassure Christian communities facing an uncertain future.

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“We need someone like the pope to give us hope,” said Dima Awwad, 24, part of the Syrian delegation.