Pope Leo XIV received a warm and festive welcome at Lebanon’s Baabda Presidential Palace during his first papal visit to the country. Folk performances, official ceremonies, and thousands of well-wishers marked his arrival as he praised the Lebanese people for their resilience “in the face of trials.”
The visit comes amid rising regional tensions and ongoing Israeli airstrikes near the Lebanese border. Pope Leo’s trip includes meetings with political, religious, and community leaders, along with a mass at the Beirut port explosion site.
02:23Mr. President, distinguished civil and religious authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen, blessed are the peacemakers.
02:36It is a great joy for me to meet with you and to visit this land where peace is much more than just a word.
02:47For here, peace is a desire and a vocation.
02:52It is a gift and a work in progress.
02:57You are invested with authority in this country, each in your own area and with specific roles.
03:02It is in light of this authority that I wish to address to you the words of Jesus that have been chosen as the central theme of my journey.
03:13Blessed are the peacemakers.
03:15Certainly, there are millions of Lebanese here and throughout the world who serve peace silently day after day.
03:25Yet you, who have important institutional tasks within this nation, are destined for a special beatitude if you can say that you have put the goal of peace above all else.
03:38In this meeting, I would like to reflect with you a little on what it means to be peacemakers in circumstances that are highly complex, conflictual, and uncertain.
03:51In addition to Lebanon's natural beauty and cultural riches, which have been praised by those of my predecessors who visited your country,
04:02there is a shining quality that distinguishes the Lebanese.
04:08You are a people who do not give up, but in the face of trials, you always know how to rise again with courage.
04:18Your resilience is an essential characteristic of authentic peacemakers, for the work of peace is indeed a continuous starting anew.
04:31Moreover, the commitment and love for peace, no fear in the face of apparent defeat,
04:39are not daunted by disappointment, but look ahead, welcoming and embracing all situations with hope.
Be the first to comment