BEIRUT: Pope Leo arrived in Lebanon on Sunday, marking the second and final stop of his first international trip as head of the Catholic Church. His visit comes at a critical moment as Lebanon faces persistent Israeli air strikes and growing fears of further regional escalation.
Read More: Palestinian state ‘only’ solution to Israeli conflict, says Pope Leo
The first US-born pope travelled from Turkey, where he spent four days warning that global stability was under threat due to unprecedented levels of violence and conflict. He condemned the use of religion to justify bloodshed and urged world leaders to prioritise peace.
Hours before his arrival, crowds lined the roads from Beirut airport to the presidential palace, waving Vatican and Lebanese flags. Pope Leo is scheduled to meet Lebanon’s president and prime minister and deliver only his second formal address to a foreign government.
On his first international trip as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is carrying a message of unity and peace to the Middle East. Sunday in Lebanon, he challenged leaders to be true peacemakers and set aside their differences. It’s a precarious time in the country, which faces deep domestic… pic.twitter.com/mpRsW7Laeb
— PBS News (@NewsHour) November 30, 2025
Lebanon, home to the highest proportion of Christians in the Middle East, continues to suffer from the spillover of the Gaza conflict. The ongoing confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel has triggered widespread destruction, while the country also bears the strain of hosting nearly one million Syrian and Palestinian refugees amid a prolonged economic crisis.
Israeli officials say their strikes aim to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding military capabilities after last year’s ceasefire. Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem said he hopes Pope Leo’s visit will help ease Israeli aggression and encourage diplomatic engagement.
Pope Leo, on his first overseas trip, urged political leaders in Lebanon, which remains a target of Israeli airstrikes, to make peace their highest priority https://t.co/pdz2jKJiEX pic.twitter.com/2VgYnljKM6
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 30, 2025
Arriving at the palace in heavy rain, the pope was greeted with cheering crowds, traditional music, and a display of white umbrellas as he travelled in his enclosed popemobile.
Read More: Pope Leo XIV prays, meets families in Istanbul
During an in-flight press conference, Pope Leo reaffirmed the Vatican’s long-standing support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. He stressed that a sovereign Palestinian state remains the only viable path to lasting peace and said the Holy See is committed to mediating between both sides.