The Lebanese Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, and the Lebanese delegation, welcomed by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, on Oct. 25, 2025. (Photo: NNA)
BEIRUT — "The Lebanese are waiting for you," Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Pope Leo XIV on Saturday morning on a visit to the Vatican. He reiterated the enthusiasm of the Lebanese people ahead of his apostolic visit to Lebanon scheduled from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.
"The Lebanese, regardless of their affiliations, are joyfully awaiting the visit," Salam told the Pontiff, according to a message published on X, after announcing this week that he would travel to the Vatican in conjunction with the pope's visit to Lebanon.
"His Holiness reaffirmed his commitment to Lebanon's message and his support for the Palestinian people. I assured him that unity, sovereignty, and freedom are rights of all Lebanese. Peace in the region will only be possible through justice, especially the right of Palestinians to an independent state," the Prime Minister added.
On Sunday, as he welcomed Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, on the sidelines of the canonization of Bishop Ignatius Maloyan, Pope Leo XIV described this trip to Lebanon as a "message of peace and hope."
The Holy Father will make his apostolic visit to Lebanon after a stop in Turkey from Nov. 27 to 30 for the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, a major event in Christian history. The trip will be his first tour abroad since his election on May 8.
In September, Vatican sources indicated that preparations were underway for this trip to Lebanon, without further details, stirring excitement among the country's faithful, especially since Pope Francis had not been able to make the visit.
