The Pope landed this Sunday in Lebanon with a clear message addressed to Israel that is not new, but that said upon his arrival in the Middle East, has greater force: “The Holy See has publicly supported for several years the proposal of . We know that at this moment Israel still does not accept this situation, but we see it as the only solution to the conflict. [con Palestina] who continually live.”
The Pontiff made these statements during a conversation with journalists on the flight to Beirut, after the stage in Turkey. Robert Prevost has agreed to answer only two questions from Turkish media, to take stock of half of the trip, and one of them has been on the Palestinian question.
After being escorted by Lebanese fighter jets, he landed at the airport of the capital of this country around 3:30 p.m. local time, 2:30 p.m. in mainland Spain.
Then he traveled through the streets of the city to the presidential palace, first by car and then by popemobile, completely covered in glass. It is the first time that Leo XIV uses this vehicle on a trip, since he did not do so in Türkiye.
During his tour, the Pope has been acclaimed by thousands of people, including many young people and children who crowded around the fences placed along the route in a festive atmosphere, despite the rain. There were hundreds of little Vatican flags and also some yellow Hezbollah flags.
Türkiye as mediator
Lebanon since two years ago, when the pro-Iranian militia Hezbollah attacked the neighboring country, “in solidarity” with the offensive launched by Hamas from Gaza. There has been a truce for a year, but only on paper, since Israel demands the disarmament of this organization, as established in the ceasefire agreement, and frequently bombs southern Lebanon. The last time, last Sunday, when he launched missiles in Beirut and four other people.
“We are also friends of Israel, and with both parties we seek to be a measuring voice that can help move closer to a solution with justice for all,” the Pope explained. He has also confirmed that in his meeting with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, last Thursday, he spoke about the situation in Gaza, which shares the position of the Holy See. And he added: “Türkiye has an important role it could play in this.”
After his arrival at the presidential palace in Beirut, Leo XIV gave a speech in English before the authorities and representatives of civil society, aware that he is landing in a country burdened by decades of violence. “Here peace is a desire and a vocation, it is a gift and a work in constant construction,” were his first words. He has called on the Lebanese to be “builders of peace.”
Lebanon is a country where Muslims and Christians coexist (currently 32%) and Muslims, which until the 1970s was the Switzerland of the Middle East and which from then on entered into decades of violence, with a civil war until 1991, invasions by its powerful neighbors, Syria and Israel, attacks on authorities and the presence since 1982 of a large paramilitary force, Hezbollah. Additionally, Beirut suffered the tremendous chemical explosion at the port in 2020, which devastated the city center, killing 218 people and injuring 7,000.
Hezbollah message to the Pope
Faced with the weight of this history, Leo The Pope stressed that the Lebanese “have suffered greatly from the consequences of an economy that kills (…), from the radicalization of identities and from conflicts, but they have always wanted and knew how to start over.”
The president of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, in his very emotional speech, assured him that they will continue fighting for peace: “Holy Father, we implore you to tell the world that we will not die, we will not leave, we will not despair, we will not surrender. We will continue here, breathing freedom.”
Before the Pope’s visit, both Hezbollah and Israel have launched messages. The pro-Iran militia has released a long statement welcoming: “We take advantage of this blessed visit to Lebanon to reaffirm our commitment to peaceful coexistence, consensual democracy, the preservation of internal security and stability, and the safeguarding of our national sovereignty, supporting our army and people against any aggression or occupation of our land and country.” In a more explicit passage, addressed to Leo XIV, the text indicated: “We trust in the position of His Holiness in rejecting the injustice and aggression inflicted on our homeland by the Zionist invaders and their supporters.”
For its part, Israel’s public television has reported that the Israeli army “has adjusted its military procedures in line with the Pope’s scheduled visit to Beirut.” In practice, it can be interpreted as that during the two days of Leo XIV’s visit there will be a pause in hostilities.
Relations between the Holy See and Israel have become strained in recent months, especially after last month the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, . In theory, dialogue seemed to have been reestablished after the frost that had prevailed during Francis’ mandate. With the arrival of Leo XIV in May, obstacles soon arose, such as the Israeli attack on the Catholic parish in Gaza last July, which left three dead and nine wounded. Parolin then said that one could “legitimately doubt” that it had been “truly a mistake.”
In the momentary silence of the weapons that Lebanon can experience during the two days of the papal visit, Leo XIV called for the “arduous path of reconciliation.” “There are personal and collective wounds that require long years, sometimes entire generations, to heal. If they are not healed, if we do not work, for example, on healing memory, on rapprochement between those who have suffered grievances and injustices, it is difficult to move towards peace,” he noted.
In his brief press conference on the plane, the Pope also referred to the war in Ukraine, in which he highlighted the mediating role that Turkey can play: “A few months ago, President Erdogan, with the possibility of dialogue between Ukraine and Russia. We have not yet seen a solution, unfortunately, but today again there are concrete proposals for peace.” Prevost has expressed his hope that the Turkish leader “can help promote a dialogue, a ceasefire and see how to resolve this conflict.”
In his dialogue with the Turkish press, the Pontiff stressed that Türkiye “has many qualities” to help in the search for peace. “It is a country where the majority are Muslims, and Christians are a small minority, but people of different religions are capable of living in peace. I would say that it is an example of what we are looking for around the world, despite religious, ethnic, and many other differences, people can really live in peace,” he reflected.
Regarding the religious balance of the visit to Turkey, focused above all on the meetings with the Orthodox Church and the very slow path towards lost unity, Leo XIV has said that they have agreed on “possible future meetings.” The most important, although distant, has been announced that it will be in 2033 in Jerusalem. Then, he said, “two thousand years of the redemption, of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is evidently an event that all Christians want to celebrate,” will be fulfilled.
