Pope Leo will visit Lebanon on Sunday, which remains under pressure from constant Israeli airstrikes. The Pontiff is expected to address the country with a call for peace – this will be the second stage of his first foreign trip. This is reported by UNN with reference to Reuters.
Details
The Pope will arrive in Lebanon from Turkey, where for four days he warned about the threat to the future of humanity due to the large number of bloody conflicts in the world. In Turkey, he also condemned violence committed in the name of religion.
The Pontiff is scheduled to land at Hariri Airport in Beirut at 3:45 PM local time. After that, meetings with the president, prime minister, and an address to national leaders are planned – this will be his second address to a foreign government.
Lebanon, home to the largest proportion of Christians in the region, has felt the effects of the war between Israel and the Hezbollah group, which began after the conflict in Gaza. The country also hosts about 1 million Syrian and Palestinian refugees and continues to overcome a years-long economic crisis. Against this background, Lebanese leaders are concerned about the sharp increase in Israeli strikes.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said he hoped the Pope's visit would have an impact.
I hope that Leo's visit will help stop Israel's attacks
Representatives of other religious communities also supported the Pontiff's arrival. Druze cleric Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna emphasized that Lebanon "needs a glimmer of hope that this visit represents."
Recall
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan highly praised Pope Leo's approach to the Palestinian issue and his calls for peace in Ukraine. He expressed hope that the new Catholic leader's first foreign visit would contribute to world peace.