Pope Leo XIV delivers peace message to 150,000 at Beirut Mass

BEIRUT — Rainbows adorning the early morning sky as tens of thousands of people gathered on Beirut's waterfront Tuesday to attend public prayers led by Pope Leo XIV, the culmination of an international debut in which the US-born pontiff has repeatedly called for peace during an intensifying war.

Addressing a crowd of about 150,000 people, including much of Lebanon's political class, Leo described himself as a “pilgrim of hope for the Middle East.” He prayed for “God's gift of peace to this beloved land marked by instability, war and suffering.”

This message resonated deeply here in Lebanon, a country that has seen more than all three countries have their share of in recent years.

Its economy collapsed in 2019, devaluing the currency by more than 98% and virtually wiping out most people's savings.

A year later, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of Beirut exploded, killing hundreds and destroying large areas of the Lebanese capital. The disaster, blamed on gross negligence at all levels of government, has become a symbol of endemic corruption in Lebanon, but no officials have yet been charged.

Then in 2023, war broke out between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah. A US-brokered ceasefire in November 2024 was supposed to end the fighting, but more than a year later Israel still occupies parts of southern Lebanon and carries out almost daily airstrikes – measures it says are vital to preventing Hezbollah's reconstruction efforts. (A week before Leo arrived, Israeli warplanes crashed into an apartment in a Beirut suburb, killing Hezbollah's top military commander.)

Despite these difficulties and growing fears that conflict with Israel might flare up again, the mood throughout Leo's time in Lebanon was jubilant, with many believing that the pontiff's presence would act as a deterrent against any attack.

Indeed, celebrations began the moment he arrived, and church bells throughout the country marked his arrival from Türkiye on Sunday. During the three-day visit, at every stop on the pontiff's busy schedule, neither pouring rain nor scorching sun stopped people from lining the streets, hooting and showering the papal cortege with rose petals, rice and even doves.

And in a country where religion often seeps into politics with devastating consequences (as it did during Lebanon's 15-year civil war), the pope's visit attracted more than just Christians, who make up rabout a third population of the country, but also representatives of other religions. Even Hezbollah got in on the action, with a marching band from the group's youth wing playing as the Pope walked through Hezbollah-dominated areas of the capital.

“Of course, we are all celebrating here. This is the Pope coming to Lebanon. You can't miss it,” said George Abinader, a 20-year-old university student who attended the mass on the waterfront with his mother Najat Abinader. “All sects. This is the real Lebanon.”

Like many others present, Najat Abinader believed the pope would be a powerful advocate for Lebanon internationally, but she wanted his words to have an impact domestically as well.

“Today we all feel calm. Tomorrow that may change, but we hope that politicians here will take this message seriously,” she said.

Despite Leo's reputation as a more reserved pontiff than his predecessor, Pope FrancisThe 70-year-old Chicago resident seemed elated by the moment. He visited religious shrines, attended holiday gatherings and took part in interfaith dialogue among Christian and interreligious leaders, delivering addresses in English and French and occasionally throwing in phrases in Arabic to applause.

His last day in Lebanon began with a visit to De La Croix Hospital, a facility that specializes in treating patients with psychological problems. He then moved to the port, where he spoke with some of the families of the 218 people killed in the 2020 explosion and held a silent vigil among the ruins.

As the Popemobile made its way from the port to the waterfront, people jostled against metal barricades to get a better view for smartphone video.

By the time he took the stage, the event resembled a rock concert, with people waving Lebanese and Vatican flags as a nearby orchestra played music.

As in other speeches, Lev did not shy away from discussing the troubles that befell Lebanon. “Its beauty,” he said, “has been marred by poverty and suffering,” as well as “a fragile and often unstable political context, a dramatic economic crisis that weighs heavily on you, and violence and conflict that awaken ancient fears.”

“Let us shed the armor of our ethnic and political differences, open our religious faiths to mutual meeting and awaken in our hearts the dream of a united Lebanon. A Lebanon where there is peace and justice, where everyone recognizes each other as brothers and sisters,” he said.

He added that the Middle East “needs new approaches to move away from the mindset of revenge and violence” and that “the path of mutual hostility and destruction in the horrors of war has been traveled for too long.” He has not talked about creating a Palestinian state, but in recent months he has supported a two-state solution that Israel opposes.

Listening to the sermon was Philip Zarzour, a 59-year-old self-described real estate expert, who said the large crowd proved the importance of the pope's message.

“This is a referendum. We are a nation that wants peace. No more war,” he said.

Nevertheless, Zarzur was realistic about the Pope's capabilities.

“Can he change anything?” he asked. “He helps people see the way. And the rest? Who is he, Jesus Christ?”

Leo also sent a message to the Christians of the Levant, whose numbers have declined over the decades to about 5% of the Middle East's population.

“When the results of your peace efforts are slow to come, I invite you to lift your eyes to the Lord who is coming,” he said.

“Christians of the Levant, citizens of these countries in all respects, I repeat: be of good courage! The whole Church looks upon you with love and admiration.”

In his final speech on the tarmac before departure, he expressed regret at not being able to visit the south of the country, which he said was “currently experiencing a state of conflict and uncertainty.”

“Let the attacks and hostilities stop,” he said. “We must recognize that armed struggle does not bring any benefit. Although weapons are lethal, negotiations, mediation and dialogue are constructive.”

Moments after his plane took off, the familiar drone of Israeli drones that had been absent during the Pope's visit could be heard again over the capital.