Pope to bring message of coexistence to Lebanon

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.