During the press conference held on Oct. 28, 2025, at the Catholic Information Center in Jal al Dib to announce the details of Pope Leon XIV’s visit to Lebanon, Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Borgia (right), with Bishops Michel Aoun, Nabil Andary, and Abdo Bou Kassem. (Credit: Suzanne Baaklini/L'Orient-Le Jour)
"Blessed are the peacemakers." It is under this motto that Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Lebanon will take place, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.
The visit is highly symbolic, especially since it will be the pontiff’s first trip outside the Vatican since his election as head of the Catholic Church last May, following the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
The details of the visit were announced Tuesday at the headquarters of the Catholic Information Center in Jal al-Dib by Apostolic Nuncio Paolo Borgia, alongside the visit’s coordinator for the Church and president of the executive committee of the Council of Catholic Bishops in Lebanon, Bishop Michel Aoun, the director of the Catholic Information Center, Bishop Abdo Abou Kassem, and the president of the Episcopal Committee for the Media, Bishop Antoine Andary.
The pope will arrive in Lebanon on Nov. 30 at 3 p.m., coming from Turkey, where he will also have spent two days. His meetings with President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, as well as with representatives of civil society and diplomats, will take place that same afternoon and evening.
Monday, Dec. 1, and Tuesday, Dec. 2 will be considered public holidays to facilitate travel, Bishop Aoun announced. The pope will mainly travel by car or popemobile if the weather permits, said Bishop Borgia. There will therefore be countless opportunities for Lebanese citizens to gather along the streets to welcome the Holy Father over the two days.
Highlights of the visit include a mass at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 2 at the Beirut Waterfront; an ecumenical and interreligious gathering at Martyrs’ Square at 4 p.m. on Dec. 1; and a youth meeting in Bkerkeh at 5:45 p.m. that same day. The program also features a visit and prayer at Saint Charbel’s tomb in Aanaya at 9:45 a.m. on Monday, a stop at the Hôpital de la Croix at 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 2, and, most notably, a brief symbolic visit to the Port of Beirut — site of the Aug. 4, 2020 explosion — just before the mass on Tuesday.
As Bishop Borgia explained, the pope's visit will include formal meetings with Lebanese political leaders and the different sectors of society and the Church, as well as gatherings with a more popular character. "This visit does not coincide with any particular occasion; it is a visit of the heart. The pope is aware that this country has suffered greatly. He bears a message of peace and hope," he said.
The Apostolic Nuncio particularly emphasized the symbolism of the visit to Saint Charbel’s tomb, noting that he himself had explained to the pope the importance that this saint holds in Lebanon, not only for Christian communities but for the entire population.
He also spoke of the visits to the Hôpital de la Croix and the Port of Beirut, which will be a sign of solidarity and encouragement to the Lebanese people. As for the downtown Beirut gathering, it carries the intercultural and interreligious character that defines Lebanon, Bishop Borgia continued.
Welcome 'on the streets, not through screens'
Bishop Aoun called on the Lebanese people, both Christians and Muslims, "to welcome the pope in person, on the streets, not in front of the television." He encouraged the faithful "to participate en masse in the Dec. 2 mass," noting that there would be 60,000 seats, with room for another 40,000 standing.
The bishop provided some practical details regarding the organization of this extraordinary event, especially about registering for major events such as the mass and the youth gathering, via parishes.
"We have created a Google document that parishes will offer to the faithful to register as soon as possible, which will help us gauge the number of participants," he said, adding that the Church is expected to organize transportation for many worshippers.
In response to a question from L’Orient-Le Jour about other registration methods, for people not necessarily using the parishes, Bishop Aoun said that a platform will be made available by First Lady Neemat Aoun's team from the Baabda Palace.
The media, both Lebanese and international, will be able to rely on a large center at the Phoenicia Hotel, Bishop Abou Kassem said, adding that further details will be announced later in cooperation with the presidential palace. Journalists covering the various stages of the visit must also preregister.
The logo for the papal visit was also presented by Bishop Aoun: it features an image of Leo XIV, smiling, in the center, with a dove symbolizing peace, a cedar, and a cross in the background. "The colors are those of the Lebanese flag, with the addition of blue, which symbolizes peace," he added.
