Pope urges Middle East to reject ‘horror of war’ at end of first overseas trip
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In a country still grappling with conflict, economic collapse and the trauma of the 2020 port explosion, Pope Leo XIV used the final moments of his Middle East visit to urge the Lebanese people to hold on to hope and resist despair. Addressing around 150,000 people gathered along Beirut’s waterfront, he called on citizens “not to be discouraged, not to give in to the logic of violence or the idolatry of money, and not to resign ourselves to the spread of evil.”
At the end of Mass, the pope appealed to political and social leaders in all war-torn nations: “Listen to the cry of your peoples who are calling for peace!” The liturgy overlooking the Mediterranean Sea marked the culmination of a visit lasting less than 48 hours.
Earlier in the day, Leo visited a hospital for people with mental disabilities and prayed at the site of the 2020 chemical explosion that killed more than 218 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. He also met with grieving families of the victims.
Preaching near the shattered port’s silent cranes and collapsed silos, Leo reminded Lebanon that its path back to stability lies in a renewed commitment to the common good. Recalling the country’s unique religious diversity, he urged unity and reconciliation: “Disarming our hearts is the only way. Let us set aside ethnic and political divisions, open our religious communities to one another, and rekindle the dream of a united Lebanon.”
