On the second day of his visit to Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV carries a call for unity among the Lebanese of all sects, and a message of hope to young people who are eagerly awaiting him, after their faith in their crisis-ridden country has diminished.

The head of the Catholic Church arrived in Beirut on Sunday evening, coming from Istanbul, on his first trip abroad since his election in May, through which he said he wanted to be a “messenger of peace” to the region torn apart by divisions and conflicts.

From the early morning hours, thousands of Lebanese gathered along the road leading to the mountain town of Annaya, 54 kilometers north of Beirut, where the Pope is visiting the shrine of Saint Charbel, according to AFP correspondents.

Many people waited in the morning for his motorcade to leave his residence at the Papal Embassy in Harissa, overlooking the coastal city of Jounieh; among them was housewife Therese Darouni (61 years old), who told AFP joyfully: “Everyone goes to Rome to see the Pope, but he came to us.” She added: “This is the greatest blessing, the greatest grace, and the greatest hope for Lebanon.”

A few meters away, Yasmine Chidiac stood in front of her house, her face beaming with joy."We are so happy about the Pope's visit," she told AFP as the rain poured down."His visit has brought smiles back to our faces."

Yasmine added emotionally: “We are all smiling today, after having gone through many difficulties; but thank God we always have hope and faith in peace, and hope that Lebanon will remain a beacon and a meeting place for countries.”

In front of the monastery in Annaya, hymns resonated through loudspeakers. The faithful waved Lebanese and Vatican flags under a gray sky and heavy rain. Strict organizational and security measures were in place, as with all stops on the Pope's visit.

The shrine of Saint Charbel, the “Saint of Lebanon,” as many call him, is a pilgrimage site for Christians and Muslims; this is the first time that the head of the Holy See has visited the monastery belonging to the Lebanese Maronite Order.

The first part of the monastery, named after Saint Maron, was established in 1828. The monastic order continued to develop it and add parts to it, especially after the canonization of Saint Charbel, who was buried there in 1898.

Hope and Faith

“Saint Charbel is like a father to me, and the greatest saint in my life,” beauty specialist Jihan Dakash told AFP from in front of the monastery. “The Pope’s visit today is historic to a land that always longs for peace, and he carries for me and all Lebanese a message of hope and faith,” despite all the difficulties.

Lebanon, which has long been seen as a model of religious diversity in the Middle East, has been suffering from successive crises since 2019, including an unprecedented economic collapse, a significant rise in poverty rates, and a deterioration of public services, as well as the Beirut port explosion in 2020 and the recent war waged by Hezbollah and Israel, the consequences of which the country is still suffering from, while these crises have driven a large number of Lebanese, especially young people, to emigrate.

In a speech delivered at the presidential palace shortly after his arrival, the Pope urged Lebanese officials on Sunday to be “at the service” of their people, “rich in their diversity,” and to work towards achieving reconciliation, which “requires authorities and institutions that recognize that the common good is above the good of the parties,” in a country whose system is based on fragile political and sectarian balances. He also called on the Lebanese to have the “courage” to remain in their country, despite the difficulties.

Pope Leo XIV, who is receiving an exceptional official and popular welcome in a country exhausted by crises, stressed that peace “is knowing how to live together in unity and communion, reconciled with one another.”

Elias Abu Nasr Shaalan, 44, a father of two who works in the jewelry business, told AFP: “At a time when we are struggling with many economic, social and political problems, we need hope and we need to unite as Lebanese, just as the Pope brought together officials and heads of religious communities when he received them.”

Interfaith dialogue

After the shrine of Saint Charbel, the Pope will meet with hundreds of bishops, priests and church workers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, after which he will meet with the Catholic patriarchs at his residence in the Papal Embassy.

Later on Monday, the Pope will travel to Martyrs' Square in downtown Beirut, where he will participate in an ecumenical and interfaith dialogue meeting with representatives from most religious communities. He is expected to reiterate his messages of unity and respect for religious diversity, similar to his remarks in Türkiye.

Lebanon is home to 18 religious communities, despite a civil war (1975-1990) that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Lebanese and was, to a large extent, in some of its phases, a war between Muslims and Christians.

Pope Leo XIV will conclude his day with a large gathering of young people at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke, north of Beirut. According to organizers, more than 10,000 people aged 16 to 35 have registered to attend. Among them are more than 500 young men and women from abroad.

The Pope of the Catholic Church delivers a speech to the youth, after a series of presentations and gifts are given to him.

Lebanon declared Monday and Tuesday official holidays for the visit, and strict security measures were taken, including closing roads, banning drone flights, and closing shops in the city center on Monday evening, before the mass scheduled for Tuesday morning.