Pope in Beirut calls for peace and unity, meets Lebanese president
發佈日期: 2025-12-01 20:18
TVB News
Pope Leo XIV began his tour in crisis-hit Lebanon, the second leg of his maiden overseas voyage to the heart of the Middle East, striving to be a messenger of hope.
The pope flew to Beirut, capital city of Lebanon, on Sunday as part of a multinational visit that began last week in Turkey.
When on board his charted plane escorted by fighter jets, the 70-year-old once again pressed for a two-state solution for Gaza and said the Vatican could serve as a mediating voice.
Upon arriving at the airport, the pope was greeted by Lebanese leaders and dignitaries.
Leo's visit fulfilled the promise made by his predecessor. Pope Francis had planned to visit the Muslim-majority country in 2022 but was unable to because his health worsened.
With around one third of its population being Christian, Lebanon has always been a priority for the Holy See which sees it as a bulwark for Christians across the region.
Despite heavy rain, large crowds swarmed the streets to the presidential palace, as the papal convoy moved in a closed popemobile.
A welcome ceremony was held at the Baabda Presidential Palace where the pontiff met with Lebanon's Maronite Christian President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
In his address, Pope Leo acknowledged the hardships that people have endured and urged them to remain in their country battered by recent conflicts.
He said, "Blessed are the peacemakers...You are a diverse country, a community of communities, united by a common language. I am not simply referring to the Levantine Arabic, by which your great past has left inestimable treasures. Above all, I am referring to the language of hope, which has always enabled you to start again."
The pope told Lebanese politicians to engage in a process of reconciliation, saying a culture of reconciliation must come from the top with leaders willing to put aside personal interests and recognise the "common good as superior to the particular."
His appeal for dialogue and unity comes amid heightened tensions just days after an Israeli bombardment on Hezbollah in southern Beirut.
On Monday, Pope Leo is due to visit the tomb of St. Charbel, a Catholic saint revered across the region, and the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon.
His schedule also includes interreligious talks with leaders of other sects, a prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, as well as an outdoor Mass on the Beirut waterfront.
