Pope Leo XIV Urges Middle East to Choose Peace in Beirut

Beirut, 2 December ,2025 — As he concluded his first apostolic visit to Türkiye and Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV addressed civil-society representatives and diplomats at a farewell ceremony at Beirut’s airport, calling on the Middle East to embrace dialogue, fraternity and reconciliation, and urging even those who see themselves as enemies to commit to peace. 

In his remarks, the Pope expressed hope that the journey’s message of solidarity would extend across the region, emphasising that peace should not be a distant goal but a daily way of life rooted in understanding and respect among peoples and faiths. 

The visit ended after six days of engagements ranging from inter-religious and ecumenical meetings to prayers for victims of Lebanon’s 2020 port explosion and Masses calling for justice, healing and unity. 

Pope Leo’s final appeal at the airport reiterated his call for collective commitment to peace — “a way, not just a goal,” he said — urging political and religious leaders alike to choose reconciliation over conflict, dialogue over division, and solidarity over despair.

Source and Image Credits : Vatican News