Pope Lands In Beirut Amid Regional Crisis
BEIRUT, Lebanon (WHN) – Pope Leo XIV arrived in Beirut on Friday, beginning a historic three-day apostolic journey to a nation grappling with economic collapse and surrounded by regional conflict. The pontiff’s visit is a direct appeal for peace and stability in the volatile Middle East.
The papal aircraft touched down at Rafik Hariri International Airport at 2:15 PM local time. Awaiting him on the tarmac was a delegation of Lebanon’s highest-ranking officials, including President Elias Aoun, Prime Minister Tarek Mikati, and the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Elias Sfeir.
Security is exceptionally tight. An estimated 15,000 Lebanese Army soldiers and Internal Security Forces personnel have been deployed across the capital. Major thoroughfares were closed to traffic hours before the Pope’s arrival, with military snipers visible on rooftops along the airport road.
The visit comes as Lebanon navigates its worst financial crisis in history. The nation also hosts over a million refugees from neighboring conflicts, a reality expected to be a central theme of the Pope’s messages.
In his first public remarks, delivered at the airport, Pope Leo XIV described Lebanon as “more than a country, it is a message of freedom” for the entire world. He made an immediate plea for an end to the “spiral of violence and retribution” that has consumed parts of the region.
Vatican officials confirmed the trip would proceed despite security assessments from several Western governments advising against travel to the area. The Pope comes “as a pilgrim of peace,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni stated in a press briefing earlier this week. Bruni insisted the pontiff’s commitment to the visit “was never in doubt,” calling his presence a necessary “sign of hope.”
The Pope’s schedule is dense. It includes a planned meeting with young people from various religious communities and an interfaith dialogue with Muslim and Druze leaders aimed at strengthening coexistence. The highlight of the trip is expected to be a large public Mass on Sunday at the newly renovated Beirut waterfront.
Authorities reported small, isolated protests against the visit were dispersed in the northern city of Tripoli earlier in the week. The demonstrations involved hardline groups, but officials said they posed no credible threat to the papal itinerary.
During his visit, Pope Leo XIV is also scheduled to sign and release a new encyclical, a major papal document, titled “Human Fraternity and Regional Stability.” The text has been in development for over a year, according to sources within the Holy See.
The pontiff’s motorcade departed the airport under heavy guard for the Apostolic Nunciature in Harissa, where he will reside during his stay.
