A Lebanese welcome for “Baba Liyū”

By Bianca Fraccalvieri – Beirut

“Baba Liyū” is in Lebanon! After 13 years, the Land of the Cedars once again welcomes a Pope, and the visit is a timely one.

The city lies about 100 km from Damascus, the capital of Syria, and at a similar distance from northern Israel. This already reveals something of the context and importance of this second stage of Pope Leo’s Apostolic Journey.

While the focus in Türkiye was on ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, the central theme in Beirut is peace, expressed in the motto of the visit: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Lebanon is facing one of the worst economic crises in modern history, with inflation and a dramatic devaluation of the local currency.

Basic services are lacking: frequent power outages and shortages of medicines and fuel. Added to this are structural corruption and the presence in the country of approximately two million refugees, including Syrians and Palestinians—around one-third of the population—intensifying social tensions.

In the absence of the State, religious institutions, especially those linked to the Catholic Church, play a vital role in supporting the population.

The host of the Pope, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, Maronite Patriarch, welcomed the Pope's visit in an interview with Vatican News.

“The Holy Father brings with him spiritual and moral dimensions, and he does not come empty-handed; he comes full of spiritual and moral gifts. For me, this is a personal appeal to each one of us Lebanese—an appeal to change, to turn the page and open a new one, the page of peace, of hope. We cannot live as though nothing has happened. The Pope comes, ceremonies take place, the welcome is given, he leaves, and everything returns to how it was before. No. We hope the Lebanese reflect a little and appreciate the value of this visit, because the Holy Father knows that Lebanon is going through a very, very critical moment.”

Lebanon’s democratic system and confessional pluralism distinguish it from all other countries in the Middle East.

Indeed, the first events on Pope Leo XIV’s agenda are dedicated to political institutions: the welcome ceremony at the airport and the visit to the country’s president, Joseph Aoun, who, according to the Constitution, must always be a Maronite Christian.

Then comes the meeting with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, followed by an encounter with the Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam.

In this way, the Pope will have met the representatives of the three pillars of the Lebanese confessional system: Maronite, Shiite, and Sunni.

Sunday's final appointment will be the meeting with authorities, civil society, and members of the diplomatic corps, during which Pope Leo will deliver his first address in Lebanon.