Pope Leo XIV said the Middle East needed “new approaches” and that the “horror of war” had been a path too well trodden, in a Mass in Beirut on the final day of his visit.
Much of Lebanon’s capital was shut down on Tuesday as Pope Leo led a morning Mass for tens of thousands of worshippers – including President Joseph Aoun – on the Beirut waterfront. He also prayed at the site of the 2020 port blast that rocked Lebanon's capital, before returning to the Vatican.
Crowds began packing into the waterfront area in the early morning, standing shoulder-to-shoulder under heavy security, with helicopters circling overhead. Streets leading to the site were emptied long before the service began.
The Pope again prayed for peace “in this beloved land, marked by wars and instability”, and urged worshippers to “be artisans of peace, heralds of peace, witnesses of peace”.
About 120,000 people attended the Mass on Beirut's waterfront, a site better known for glitzy events and hosting famous DJs.
“The Middle East needs new approaches in order to reject the mindset of revenge and violence, to overcome political, social and religious divisions, to open new chapters in the name of reconciliation and peace,” the Pope said in a multilingual ceremony.
He warned that “the path of mutual hostility and the horror of war has been travelled been too long, with the deplorable results that are before everyone's eyes. We need to change course, we need to educate our hearts for peace.”
Later, as he prepared to depart from Beirut airport he declared: "While weapons are lethal, negotiation, mediation and dialogue are constructive. Let us all choose peace as a way, not just as a goal!"
Worshippers had begun queuing for the eagerly anticipated Mass since the early hours. Afterwards, the Pope left for the airport to finish his first trip abroad since becoming head of the Catholic Church in May.
Yasmeena Farjallah, who was in attendance, said she felt "blessed and lucky to be here". She added: "I think it shows that our nation, no matter what it goes through, it's still a blessed nation, a blessed country.
"And no matter how much violence there is in this country, it still represents peace, Christianity and love, and I really hope that his coming will bless our country for good."
The pontiff greeted worshippers from his popemobile as he made his way to the pulpit. Mr Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and senior political figures representing Lebanon’s many sects sat in the front rows.
Beirut resident Elven Daher, who is originally from Marjayoun in south Lebanon, had been waiting since 8am. He said: “It’s an amazing feeling. I hope his visit brings to Lebanon a lot of joy, peace and stability. Maybe a few years later we can tell our kids about this.”
The Mass is the highlight and final item on the agenda of Pope Leo's three-day visit. Before arriving, he led a silent prayer at Beirut Port, where more than 220 people were killed and hundreds injured in August 2020, in one of the world's largest non-nuclear explosions. Pope Leo also met families of victims of the deadly blast.
No one has been held responsible five years on from the disaster and the inquiry has repeatedly been impeded.
William Noun, whose brother Joe was among the firefighters killed on that day, said: “The Pope came to the families, spoke to a bunch of us and listened.
"He knows about the judicial struggles here in Lebanon, of course he’s not going to talk about the [explosion] in detail, but just the fact that he came down and stood at the port tells those responsible if they are really believers then they will do what needs to be done," added Mr Noun, holding his young child Joe.
"I was deeply moved by my brief visit to the Port of Beirut," the Pope said from the airport."I carry with me the pain, and the thirst for truth and justice, of so many families, of an entire country," he added.
The Pope's visit brought a message of hope to a nation that is still subjected to frequent Israeli attacks despite a ceasefire that came into effect last year.
Tuesday is the last day of a historic trip that took in Turkey before Lebanon. The late Pope Francis had planned to visit both nations but his deteriorating health prevented him from doing so. Pope Leo's coincided with the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which settled key aspects of Christian doctrine in what is now Iznik in Turkey.
