Pope Leo XIV has concluded his three-day visit to Lebanon with a solemn prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, a disaster that killed more than 220 people and injured thousands.
The Pontiff stood silently before the memorial early Tuesday, lighting a lamp in honour of victims and meeting survivors and bereaved families individually. Many described his presence as a much-needed gesture of solidarity at a time when justice remains elusive.
“We know he raises his voice for justice, and we need justice for all the victims,” said Cecile Roukoz, whose brother died in the blast. Families say the investigation has repeatedly been obstructed, leaving them without answers five years on.
Reporting from Beirut’s waterfront—where the Pope later led Mass—Al Jazeera correspondents noted how deeply the moment resonated with Lebanese citizens. “For him to speak to families one by one meant a lot,” one reporter observed.
During the Mass, attended by an estimated 150,000 people, Pope Leo called on the Lebanese people to “cast off the armour of ethnic and political divisions” and work together to restore the country’s dignity and stability. The turnout was significantly lower than the 300,000 who attended Pope Benedict XVI’s waterfront Mass in 2012, reflecting the exodus of Lebanese citizens amid years of economic collapse, political paralysis, and conflict.
Lebanon has endured a relentless series of crises in the past decade—financial meltdown, loss of savings, the massive port blast, and ongoing tensions involving Hezbollah and Israel. Many attendees said life remains difficult, but the Pope’s visit offered a sense of comfort and attention to their struggles.
The Lebanon trip was the second leg of Pope Leo’s regional tour, which began in Türkiye, where he also called for peace and warned that the world’s future is threatened by unending conflicts. His message in Beirut echoed the same theme: that accountability, unity, and compassion are essential to restoring hope across the Middle East.
