Pope: Lebanon stands as witness to interreligious dialogue
By Devin Watkins
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”
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