Pope Leo XIV confirmed Sunday that his upcoming apostolic visit to Lebanon will carry a “message of peace and hope.” Speaking from the Vatican, the pontiff responded to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who had expressed the “eager anticipation” of the Lebanese people for his visit.
Pope Leo XIV © Mena Today
Pope Leo XIV confirmed that his upcoming apostolic visit to Lebanon will carry a “message of peace and hope.” Speaking from the Vatican, the pontiff responded to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who had expressed the “eager anticipation” of the Lebanese people for his visit.
The exchange took place on the sidelines of the canonization ceremony for Bishop Ignace Maloyan, held at St. Peter’s Square.
President Aoun and First Lady Neemat Aoun attended the ceremony, honoring the Armenian Catholic bishop martyred during the 1915 genocide. Maloyan had spent his early priesthood in Lebanon, at the Bzoummar monastery in Kesrouan.
The Pope’s trip to Lebanon is scheduled for November 30 to December 2, following a visit to Turkey for the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (November 27–30). It will be his first international tour since his election on May 8.
The Maronite Patriarch Béchara Raï, who was also present at the Vatican ceremony, declared that “Lebanon remains a land of peace and coexistence, as all people wish it to be.”
Pope Francis had once planned to visit Lebanon but was unable to make the trip.
Preparations for Pope Leo’s visit had been hinted at by Vatican sources in September, sparking widespread anticipation among Lebanon’s Christian communities.
October 13, 2025, will be remembered as a defining moment in modern Middle Eastern diplomacy. In Sharm el-Sheikh, world leaders did more than celebrate the release of hostages, a ceasefire, and the commencement of peace negotiations.
The Lebanese army has stepped up its campaign against the country’s narcotics trade, carrying out a series of raids and arrests that expose a sharp contrast in its willingness to act against Hezbollah’s armed presence.
As world leaders gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh for a "Peace Summit" aiming to declare an end to the Gaza war, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun made a landmark statement: negotiations with Israel are necessary as part of a broader effort to resolve regional crises.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.
