Pope Leo set to visit Lebanon with hope for peace as Israeli strikes escalate

Pope Leo will arrive in Lebanon on Sunday with a message focused on peace and resilience as the country faces a new wave of Israeli strikes that have shaken border towns and deepened national anxiety.

The visit would mark the second stop on the pontiff’s first international tour since assuming leadership of the Catholic Church, following a four day trip to Turkey where he repeatedly warned that the world is edging toward a patchwork conflict that risks becoming a wider war.

The Pope is expected to land at Beirut’s Hariri International Airport in the afternoon. Lebanese President Michel Daher and senior government officials are scheduled to welcome him formally on the tarmac.

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This will be only his second official address to a foreign government and his presence comes at a time when Lebanon is struggling with political paralysis, economic turmoil and regional spillover from the conflict in Gaza.

Lebanon hosts the largest Christian population in the Middle East and many citizens view the Pope’s arrival as a moment of rare moral support. The country has absorbed millions of refugees from Syria and Palestine, straining already fragile state institutions. Israeli air strikes have intensified in recent weeks in response to escalating tensions with fighters in southern Lebanon. Entire neighbourhoods in border districts have emptied as residents flee repeated bombardment.

Although the Pope’s schedule covers five cities and towns, he will not travel to the southern regions where the bombardment has been most severe. Vatican officials cited security concerns and coordination with Lebanese authorities as the reason for limiting travel to safer areas further north.

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During his time in Lebanon, Pope Leo plans to visit the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion. The blast killed more than 200 people and left large parts of the capital damaged. His prayer ceremony at the port site is expected to draw thousands of citizens and survivors. He will also lead an outdoor Mass at the Beirut waterfront and visit a psychiatric hospital, a gesture aimed at highlighting the mental health burden carried by communities living through years of crisis.