Beirut (Lebanon): On his second day in Lebanon on Monday, Pope Leo XIV is expected to call for peace and unity, delivering a message of hope to young people whose faith in their crisis-hit country has been shaken.

Arriving from Turkey on his first overseas trip as pontiff, Leo has already urged Lebanese leaders to dedicate themselves to serving their long-suffering citizens, many of whom have emigrated amid the nation’s turmoil.

Lebanon continues to grapple with a six-year economic collapse, widely attributed to corruption and mismanagement. Despite a ceasefire in November 2024 aimed at ending more than a year of hostilities, fears persist over renewed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel has recently intensified strikes on Lebanon, while the cash-strapped Lebanese government faces US pressure to disarm the Iran-backed militants.

"We need hope and to unite as Lebanese," said Elias Abou Nasr Chaalan, 44, a jeweller and father of two. "Through our unity, we can overcome all difficulties," he added, highlighting that the pope had already brought together officials and religious leaders.

On Monday, the Pope is scheduled to visit a monastery in Annaya, in the mountains north of Beirut, which houses the tomb of Saint Charbel, a Maronite hermit canonised in 1977, whose image is widely venerated across communities in Lebanon.

He will then address bishops and clergy at a shrine in Harissa, also north of Beirut, where the giant statue of Our Lady of Lebanon overlooks the Mediterranean from a steep hilltop.

The pope will also host an inter-religious gathering at Martyrs’ Square in central Beirut, followed by a meeting with young people at the Maronite patriarchate in Bkerke, outside the capital.

Authorities have declared December 1 and 2 as official holidays, with heightened security including road closures and a ban on all drone photography. Despite rainy weather, thousands of residents lined the streets on Sunday to greet the pontiff’s convoy.

"Peace is knowing how to live together, in communion, as reconciled people," Leo said, noting the exodus of young people and families seeking a future elsewhere. He urged reconciliation in a nation whose civil war divisions from 1975–1990 remain unresolved.

The Pope's 48-hour visit is highly anticipated in multi-confessional Lebanon, marking the first papal trip since Benedict XVI’s visit in 2012. In Turkey, he had emphasised unity and respect for religious diversity while navigating political sensitivities.

AFP