Pope Leo XIV met with Lebanon’s religious leaders on Monday, affirming that the country remains a powerful sign to the world that fear and prejudice do not have the final word. Speaking at an ecumenical and interreligious gathering in Beirut’s historic Martyrs’ Square, the Pope said Lebanon demonstrates that unity, reconciliation, and peace can flourish even amid deep diversity.
The Holy Father recalled the words of Pope Benedict XVI, who in 2012 emphasized that the Church’s dialogue with other religions must be rooted not in political calculation but in faith. Pope Leo said Lebanon embodies this message, where minarets and church towers rise together as witnesses to belief in one merciful God.
While the Middle East is often viewed with anxiety, he noted, hope appears when attention shifts to what unites people—shared humanity and the desire for peace. Lebanon, he said, “remains a sign that unity and peace can be achieved.” The Pope also referenced Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s declaration on relations with non-Christian religions, which rejected prejudice, affirmed human dignity, and opened new paths for encounter. He concluded by calling the Lebanese “builders of peace,” at home and beyond.
Before the address, Pope Leo was welcomed by the Syriac Catholic Patriarch, the Maronite Patriarch, the Grand Sunni Imam, and a representative of the Shia community. The program featured Gospel chanting, a moment of silence, Quranic recitation, and brief messages from Sunni, Greek Orthodox, Shia, Syriac Orthodox, Druze, Armenian Orthodox, Protestant, and Alawite representatives. The gathering ended with the planting of an olive tree and a final prayer for peace.
Martyrs’ Square—often described as the symbolic heart of Beirut—provided a fitting setting for the event. Named in memory of nationalists executed there by Ottoman authorities in 1916, the square has long been a focal point for civic life and cross-sectarian demonstrations, including the 2005 Cedar Revolution, the 2019 protests against corruption, and the public outcry following the 2020 port explosion. Pope Leo’s meeting highlighted its enduring role as a space where Lebanese of all faiths come together to call for reform and national unity.
The Pope’s message was directed to leaders of a nation shaped by a complex sectarian power-sharing system, where political divisions and external influences often hinder decision-making. Though Lebanon does not publish official religious statistics, estimates indicate that about 70% of the population is Muslim and 30% Christian—the highest Christian proportion in the Arab world, with Maronite Catholics forming the largest Christian group.
Credit: Vatican News
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