Pope Leo leads mass for 150,000 worshippers in Beirut

Pope Leo XIV urged Lebanon's diverse communities to come together to address the country’s many challenges, speaking at a mass attended by tens of thousands of people in Beirut.

The Catholic leader appealed to the Lebanese people to set aside political and sectarian divisions and confront the years of conflict, paralysis and economic hardship facing the country.

"We must unite our efforts so that this land can return to its glory," Leo said to a crowd of 150,000 people, around three percent of Lebanon's population.

Pope Leo on Tuesday was concluding his first overseas trip, which began in Turkey and ended with a three-day visit to Lebanon.

He arrived in Lebanon on Sunday evening to a rockstar welcome. Thousands from all religious backgrounds lined the streets to greet him, waving Vatican flags, ululating and tossing rice in celebration despite occasional rain as his motorcade passed.

He met Lebanon’s religious and political leaders on Monday, urging them to work together to help heal the country and remain committed to peace efforts after last year’s devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as ongoing Israeli strikes and occupation of southern Lebanon.

At Beirut's waterfront, Leo led the mass hours after praying at the site of the 2020 chemical port explosion that killed more than 220 people, injured over 6,500 and destroyed large parts of the city.

At a monument to those killed, the pope laid a wreath of flowers and lit a lamp following a moment of silent prayer, with the ruined grain silos visible in the background.

He then greeted, blessed, and spoke with 60 survivors and bereaved relatives, many holding photos of their loved ones, who are still seeking justice. He gave each a rosary in a pouch bearing his coat of arms.

"I was deeply moved by my brief visit to the Port of Beirut... I carry with me the pain, and the thirst for truth and justice, of so many families, of an entire country," Pope Leo said later as he prepared to depart Lebanon.

'Be courageous'

Addressing the crowd, which included Lebanon's most senior officials, Leo said his journey was a mission of peace, adding that he came “as a pilgrim of hope to this Middle East marked by war and suffering.”

"I especially pray for beloved Lebanon. I ask the international community once again to spare no effort in promoting processes of dialogue and reconciliation," he said.

Some attendees at the mass had come from abroad, including from Syria, while migrant workers from countries including the Philippines and Sri Lanka were also part of the crowd.

The pontiff said the Middle East needed “new approaches” to rejecting violence and overcoming divisions, and he encouraged Christians in the region to have courage.

“Christians of the Levant, citizens of these lands in every respect, I repeat: be courageous. The whole Church looks to you with affection and admiration,” he said.

“Be artisans of peace, heralds of peace, witnesses of peace.”

Later, at Beirut's airport, Leo appealed for an end to hostilities, without mentioning any side.

"I express my aspiration for peace, along with a heartfelt appeal: may the attacks and hostilities cease," the pope said.

"We must recognise that armed struggle brings no benefit. While weapons are lethal, negotiation, mediation and dialogue are constructive. Let us all choose peace as a way, not just as a goal."

Hezbollah support

On Sunday, among the groups welcoming the pope with great fanfare were Hezbollah’s al-Mahdi Scouts, with boys and girls of all ages lining both sides of the airport road.

The popemobile also passed through Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs that were largely devastated by heavy Israeli bombing during the war, where crowds greeted Leo with fireworks, chants and portraits of Hezbollah's slain leader Hassan Nasrallah held alongside Vatican flags.

Hezbollah, which had encouraged its supporters to join the crowds, described the reception as an expression of “deep respect” and a sign of its commitment to coexistence.

In southern Lebanon, residents had hoped the pope’s visit might bring some respite from Israeli attacks. Yet the Israeli military continued drone and artillery strikes in several areas, including near the border and farther north, around Sour.

Southern Lebanese had urged the pontiff to visit their region, which has borne the brunt of Israel’s wars on Lebanon.

They invited him to the village of Qana, where some believed Jesus performed his first miracle. Qana is also the site of two Israeli massacres that killed scores of civilians in 1996 and 2006.

Thousands of families have been unable to return to their lands and homes, with many destroyed, due to Israel’s presence and military activity in the border region, where it occupies five strategic areas. Leo’s itinerary, however, did not include a visit to the south.

In a letter sent on Saturday, Hezbollah thanked the pope for his visit and urged him to “take positions that reject the injustice” and the Israeli attacks on Lebanon. 

The group condemned Israel’s “expansionist ambitions”, its occupation of the south, and the near-daily attacks that continue to cause “suffering” for Lebanese civilians.