Pope Leo has called on Lebanese people, particularly Christians, to remain in the country despite years of conflict and the threat of the Islamic State. Arriving in Lebanon on Sunday for his first papal visit, the pontiff challenged the nation's political leaders to set aside their differences and act as peacemakers.
Christians account for roughly one-third of Lebanon's five million population, giving the country the highest percentage of Christians in the Middle East. A power-sharing agreement dating back to independence in 1943 stipulates that the president must be a Maronite Christian, making Lebanon the only Arab state with a Christian head of state.
During his visit, Pope Leo prayed at the tomb of St Charbel Makhlouf, a Lebanese saint revered by both Christians and Muslims. He offered a lamp as a gift of light for the monastery and prayed for peace in Lebanon and the entire Levant. The pope also attended an interfaith gathering with Christian and Muslim leaders in Beirut, emphasising Christian-Muslim coexistence.
The visit comes at a fragile time for Lebanon, which has endured years of economic crisis, political deadlock, and the devastating 2020 Beirut port blast. Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, who accompanied a group from the Lebanese diaspora in Australia, expressed hope that the pope's presence would encourage young people and families to stay. 'He decided to say: There we have suffering people... I have to go there and tell them: You're not forgotten,' the bishop said.
