Pope Leo XIV is preparing for a possible journey to Lebanon later this year, in what could be his first trip abroad since being elected head of the Catholic Church in May. The planned Pope Leo XIV Lebanon visit is seen as a symbolic choice that could define the early direction of his papacy.
Archbishop Paul Sayah, deputy to Lebanon’s highest-ranking Catholic leader, told the BBC that the Vatican was “studying” the trip but that official dates had not yet been confirmed.
The visit would carry particular significance for the first American Pope, who has consistently urged peace in the Middle East and promoted interfaith co-existence.
“Lebanon is a multicultural, multi-religious country and is a place of dialogue,” Bishop Sayah said. “It’s one of the rare environments where Muslims and Christians are living together and respecting each other… so it sends a message to the region.”
Setting the tone for a papacy
Speculation has surrounded where Leo’s first international destination would be, as early papal trips often set the tone for a pontificate.
In 2013, Pope Francis’s first major journey outside Rome to the Italian island of Lampedusa established his focus on migration and marginalised communities. In the decades since John Paul II, overseas travel has become central to the papacy, allowing popes to connect with Catholics worldwide, spread their message and engage in diplomacy.
During his 12 years as pontiff, Francis visited 68 countries across 47 foreign trips, often choosing destinations on the world’s margins, which he described as the Church’s “peripheries.”
Why Lebanon matters
Lebanon, home to over two million Catholics and renowned for its religious diversity, has long held symbolic weight for the Church. A papal stop there would also place Leo close to the ongoing war in Gaza and the wider Israel-Palestine conflict.
“Everybody is talking to Israel but Israel doesn’t listen. Netanyahu doesn’t seem to listen a lot, but the more [leaders speak], the better,” Bishop Sayah said. “If the Pope adds his voice and concern, I think it’s likely to have some impact.”
A message of dialogue
Since his election, Pope Leo XIV has drawn attention to outreach efforts with other faiths. One of his first meetings was with an interreligious delegation, where he praised the “Jewish roots of Christianity” and honoured the “growing commitment to dialogue and fraternity” between Catholics and Muslims.
He has repeatedly urged Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike to “say no to war and yes to peace.”
If the Lebanon trip proceeds, it would follow earlier visits by John Paul II and Benedict XVI, both remembered for messages of peace and religious co-existence.
Earlier this month, Pope Leo also marked the fifth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, which killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars in damage. “Beloved and suffering Lebanon remains at the centre of our prayers,” he said.
The Pope Leo XIV Lebanon visit, if confirmed, would symbolise both continuity with his predecessors and a clear sign of the new pontiff’s global priorities: peace, dialogue and solidarity in a region scarred by conflict.
Souce: BBC
Also read: New Pope urges Iran and Israel to choose dialogue
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