Lebanese cheer the Pope during his visit to the tomb of Saint Charbel

Pope Leo XIV began the second day of his visit to the country of cedars as a pilgrim to the tomb of Saint Charbel Makhlouf in the Monastery of Annaya, a saint of great devotion in Lebanon and the Middle East. “My predecessors—especially Saint Paul VI, who beatified and canonized him—would have greatly desired this,” he said. Thousands of Lebanese greeted him on the roads.

The Pope prayed for a few minutes before the saint's tomb, and then asked himself: what does Saint Charbel teach us today? “What is the legacy of this man who wrote nothing, who lived a hidden and silent life, but whose fame spread throughout the world?”

I would like to summarize it this way, he said. “The Holy Spirit shaped him to teach prayer to those who live without God, silence to those who live amid noise, modesty to those who live to appear, and poverty to those who seek riches. These are all behaviors that go against the grain, but that is precisely why they attract us, just as fresh, pure water attracts those who walk through the desert.”.

A message for everyone: your consistency

And in particular for bishops and ordained ministers, “Saint Charbel reminds us of the Gospel demands of our vocation. However, his consistency, as radical as it is humble, is a message for all Christians.”

Thousands of pilgrims come to seek her intercession.

Then there is another aspect “that is decisive: he never ceased to intercede for us before the heavenly Father, the source of all good and all grace.”.

Even during his earthly life, many came to him to receive comfort, forgiveness, and advice from the Lord. “After his death, all this multiplied and became a river of mercy. That is also why, on the 22nd of each month, thousands of pilgrims come here from different countries to spend a day of prayer and rest for the soul and body,” added the Pope.

The Pope's requests: communion, unity

Today we want to entrust ourselves to the intercession of Saint Charbel the needs of the Church, Lebanon, and the world, said the Holy Father.

“For the Church, we ask for communion and unity, beginning with families, small domestic churches, and then in parish and diocesan communities, and also for the universal Church. Communion and unity.”.

Peace for Lebanon and the Middle East

And for the world, we ask for peace. “We implore it especially for Lebanon and for the entire Middle East. But we know well—and the saints remind us—that there is no peace without conversion of hearts. Therefore, may Saint Charbel help us to turn to God and ask for the gift of conversion for all of us.”.

The Pope revealed that he had brought a lamp as a gift, “as a symbol of the light that God has kindled here through Saint Charbel.”.

In offering it, “I entrust Lebanon and its people to the protection of Saint Charbel, that they may always walk in the light of Christ. Thank God for the gift of Saint Charbel. Thank you for preserving his memory. Walk in the light of the Lord!”.

He then greeted the community of the Lebanese Maronite Order and the large crowd that had gathered at the monastery and its surroundings.