At an ecumenical and interreligious encounter in Beirut, Pope Leo XIV upholds the Catholic Church’s desire to foster dialogue inspired by divine love, so as to affirm the dignity of every human being.
Pope Leo XIV met with Christian and interreligious leaders at Martyr’s Square in Beirut on Monday, the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Lebanon.
The Pope in his address began by calling Lebanon a “blessed land, exalted by the prophets of the Old Testament, who beheld in its towering cedars emblems of the righteous soul that flourishes beneath heaven’s vigilant gaze.”
He recalled Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, signed in Beirut in 2012, which proclaimed the Church’s desire to dialogue with followers of other religions.
The country’s many minarets and church bell towers stand side by side, he noted, and testify to the enduring faith and devotion of Lebanon’s people to the one God.
“Here in this beloved land,” the Pope said, “may every bell toll, every adhān, every call to prayer blend into a single, soaring hymn—not only to glorify the merciful Creator of heaven and earth, but also to lift a heartfelt prayer for the divine gift of peace.”
Pope Leo pointed out that the world has witnessed the Middle East’s “arduous journey and the unceasing quest for the precious gift of peace” over the past several years.
Despite the region’s complex conflicts, the Lebanese people offer a powerful reminder that mistrust and prejudice do not have the final word and show that peace is possible.
“In the midst of these struggles,” he said, “a sense of hopefulness and encouragement can be found when we focus on what unites us: our common humanity and our belief in a God of love and mercy.”
Christians, Muslim, Druze, and countless others live together and seek to build a country united by respect and dialogue, he said.
Turning to the role of the Church, Pope Leo said the Second Vatican Council invites all Catholics to show respect rooted in love for people of all faiths.
“Dialogue, inspired by divine love,” he said, “should embrace all people of goodwill, reject prejudice, discrimination and persecution, and affirm the equal dignity of every human being.”
Interreligious dialogue, added the Pope, grows from the discovery of God’s presence beyond any boundary and invites all people to seek God together in reverence and humility.
Pope Leo XIV recalled the countless cedar trees that fill Lebanon and pointed to its many olive trees, calling them “a tireless symbol of reconciliation and peace.”
“Its long life and remarkable ability to flourish even in the harshest environments symbolize endurance and hope, reflecting the steadfast commitment required to nurture peaceful coexistence,” he said. “From this tree flows oil that heals—a balm for physical and spiritual wounds—manifesting the boundless compassion of God for all who suffer.”
In conclusion, Pope Leo said the presence and faith of Lebanese expats throughout the world represents a vocation to build peace, confront intolerance, overcome violence, and show the path to justice for all.
“May the loving and maternal embrace of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and Queen of Peace,” he prayed, “guide each of you, so that in your homeland, across the Middle East, and throughout the world, the gift of reconciliation and peaceful coexistence may flow forth ‘like the streams flowing from Lebanon,’ bringing hope and unity to all”
Read Patriarch John of Antioch’s address to the Pope:
Your Holiness the Pope,Your Eminences, Holinesses, and Beatitudes,Distinguished Guests,As the Latins have said, Ex Oriente Lux, ‘Light comes from the East.’ From the radiance of this East, we warmly welcome you, Your Holiness.Welcome to Lebanon, the land where the righteous of the Lord flourish, like the cedars of Lebanon.It is a source of great joy for me to welcome you in the language of Ḍād, a language baptized by Christians, as we exist in the heart of this Arab world.Welcome to the East, the land that received Christ as a newborn child, the land where His Cross took root, that welcomed the footsteps of His disciples and carried the Good News of His Resurrection to the ends of the earth.Welcome to the Church of Antioch, where the disciples were first called Christians. The Church of Antioch, in allHer diverse communities, the first Church founded by the Apostle Peter, embraces, through your honorable presence, the Church of Rome, this Church that planted the roots of faith in Christ throughout Europe.Welcome to Lebanon! “Lebanon is more than a country, it is a message,” a title first given by Charles Malik, the brilliant son of our Antiochian Church who played a foundational role in the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This title was later reaffirmed by the late Pope John Paul II during his visit to Lebanon.Welcome to this unique country, a nation that breathes with both its Muslim and Christian lungs. Welcome to Lebanon, a land of shared existence, where its many components do not merely coexist but complement, resemble, and ultimately meld into one another to shape Lebanon.Welcome to the land neighboring Syria and Palestine, the Middle East region that you have chosen as the first destination of your apostolic journeys abroad. In making this choice, it is as if you are proclaiming that the Christians of the East stand at the very heart of the Apostolic See’s concern.Your very presence here is, in itself, a message. We place before you this country and this land, with all the symbolism we have just mentioned, and we are confident that we remain in your prayers, just as you remain in ours.And finally, once again, welcome to this East. The face of Christ, revealed in the harmonious and loving presence of Christians alongside a tolerant Islam, will never disappear from this region.Long live Your Holiness the Pope, long live all of you, and long live Lebanon.
