Pope's message of brotherhood and peace to the Middle East as he leaves Lebanon

– Cindy Wooden, Beirut (Lebanon), CNS

Pope Leo XIV concluded his visit to Lebanon on this apostolic journey that began in Turkey, on the occasion of the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. And he once again sent a message of brotherhood and peace, also for the Middle East.

“We must recognize that armed struggle does not bring any benefits.”, declared at Beirut airport before returning to Rome on December 2. “While weapons are lethal, negotiation, mediation, and dialogue are constructive. Let us choose peace as a path, and not just as a goal!”.

“Leaving is harder than arriving. We have been together, and in Lebanon being together is contagious; here I found a people who do not like isolation, but rather encounter,” he added.

“Therefore, we are not separating, but rather, having found each other, we will continue forward together. And we hope that the entire Middle East will commit to this spirit of brotherhood and effort for peace, even those who today consider themselves enemies.”.

“The world has not forgotten Lebanon”

For his part, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confessed that “we are not only saying goodbye to a guest of honor, but to a father who brought us comfort and reminded us that the world has not forgotten Lebanon, that there are still hearts that pray for it and work for its peace.”.

Everyone's effort 

During his stay in Lebanon, from November 30 to December 2, the Pope repeatedly called for peace, justice, and a concerted effort by all Lebanese to build a future best for them and their families.

In fact, after Mass and before the Angelus prayer on December 2, he implored “once again the international community not to spare any effort to promote processes of dialogue and reconciliation.” And he appealed “to those who have political and social authority here and in all countries marked by war and violence: listen to the cry of your peoples who are asking for peace.”.

Educating our hearts for peace

“The Middle East needs new approaches to reject the mentality of revenge and violence, overcome political, social, and religious divisions, and open new chapters in the name of reconciliation and peace,” he said. “We need to change course. We need to educate our hearts for peace.”.

However, he never mentioned Hezbollah by name, the militant Islamic fighters who attack Israel from Lebanon, nor did he mention Israel, which has been attacking Lebanese cities and towns for more than two years, claiming that they were attacking Hezbollah.

At the farewell ceremony at the airport, he expressed his hope that ”the entire Middle East would embrace this spirit of brotherhood and commitment to peace, including those who currently consider themselves enemies.".

“I carry with me a thirst for truth and justice.”

At 6:30 a.m. on the last day of Pope Leo's first papal trip abroad, a double rainbow appeared in the sky over Beirut's Zaitunay Bay.

The Pope began the day by visiting a Catholic-run psychiatric hospital and then praying at the port of Beirut, the site of the 2020 chemical explosion that killed more than 200 people, injured some 7,000, and left some 300,000 displaced.

«I was deeply moved by my brief visit to the port of Beirut, where an explosion devastated the area and claimed many lives,» said the Pope during the Mass he celebrated afterwards on the nearby promenade.

«I prayed for all the victims and I carry with me the pain and thirst for truth and justice of so many families, of an entire country,» said the Pope. The relatives of the victims of the explosion of improperly stored ammonium nitrate joined him in prayer at the site, where mountains of rubble, piles of burned cars, and piles of shredded clothing and fabric still remain.

Hugs from the Pope

Also present were the Melkite and Maronite bishops of Beirut, as well as Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Haneen Sayed, the government's Minister of Social Affairs, whose mother died in the explosion.

Pope Leo placed a wreath of flowers, lit a candle, and prayed before greeting the families and survivors who still bear the scars of their wounds. A young woman, crying, asked for a hug, which the Pope gave her before placing his hand on her head and blessing her.

Beauty overshadowed

In his homily during Mass, Pope Leo XIII said that Lebanon's beauty “is overshadowed by poverty and suffering, the wounds that have marked its history. In this regard, I have just visited the port to pray at the site of the explosion.”.

“The beauty of your country is also overshadowed by the many problems that afflict you, by the fragile and often unstable political context, by the dramatic economic crisis that weighs heavily on you, and by the violence and conflicts that have rekindled old fears,» said the Pope, without giving further details.

The Gospel reading for today, Luke 10:21-24, begins by quoting Jesus, who “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.””.

A shared commitment

Pope Leo told the more than 100,000 people attending Mass that he knows it is not always easy to praise God.

“Sometimes, overwhelmed by life's struggles, worried about so many problems around us, paralyzed by helplessness in the face of evil, and oppressed by so many difficult situations," he said, "we feel more inclined to resignation and lamentation than to wonder and gratitude.".

But, the Pope told them, the Gospel “invites us to find the little lights that shine in the heart of the night, both to open ourselves to gratitude and to impel us to a common commitment for the good of this earth.”.

The faith and charity of Lebanese Christians, their willingness to engage in dialogue and collaborate with members of other religions, are “small lights shining in the night, small shoots sprouting, and small seeds planted in the arid garden of this period of history,» he said.

“Cultivate these buds,” the Pope told them. That is the way to avoid discouragement and “not give in to the logic of violence and the idolatry of money, and not resign ourselves to the spread of evil.”.

“Lebanon, stand up,” he said. “Be a home of justice and brotherhood! Be a prophetic sign of peace for the entire Levant,” a term that refers to the area bordering the Eastern Mediterranean and traditionally includes Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.