Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lebanon on Nov. 30 after a successful visit to Türkiye on his “Blessed Are the Peacemakers” trip. In Türkiye he went to Nicaea to celebrate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, at which the Nicaean Creed and the Filioque were established. He met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and thanked him for his cooperation in preparing the visit.
Peace in the Middle East was an important part of their discussion. The Pope told reporters: “To say that in spite of religious differences, in spite of ethnic differences, in spite of many other differences, people can indeed live in peace. Türkiye itself has had, of course, in its history various moments when it was not always the case, and yet to have experienced that and to have been able to speak also with President Erdogan about peace, I think, was an important element, a worthwhile element of my visit.”
The Pope also visited the Blue Mosque, built in the 17th century by Sultan Ahmed I, and met with the Patriarch Bartholomew of the Greek Orthodox Church, with whom they prayed together in the Eastern Rite Church. At a press conference following the meeting, the Pope was asked if he had spoken with Erdogan about the crises in Gaza and in Ukraine. “Certainly, we spoke about both situations,” the Pope said. “The Holy See for several years has publicly supported the proposal of a two-state solution. We all know that in this moment Israel still does not accept this solution, but we see it as the only solution that could offer—let us say—a solution to the conflict that they continuously live. We are also friends of Israel, and we try with the two sides to be a mediating voice that can help draw closer to a solution with justice for all.” He said he had urged Erdogan to continue playing an active role in resolving both of these crises.
At the Presidential Palace in Beirut, the Pope met with Lebanese leaders and addressed both them, as well as leaders of civil society and the diplomatic corps, in a moving speech on the characteristics of “the peacemakers.” He praised the resilience of the Lebanese people and urged them to always “speak the language of peace” and not to give up in the face of hardship. He praised the quality of the Lebanese people in never giving up even in very difficult circumstances. He said that the Lebanese people spoke a common language. “I don’t mean the Levantine Arabic spoken in the region, but the language of hope,” he said. He noted the diversity of the Lebanese people and urged them to continue to bring the country together in what amounts to a polyphonic voice, and he underlined the need for peacemakers to be prepared to always “begin anew,” as preserving peace is a continuous endeavor.
