Pope Leo XIV at the inaugural mass of his pontificate, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, on May 18, 2025. (Photo Alberto PIZZOLI /AFP/Getty Images)
BEIRUT — Preparations are accelerating at both the Saint Charbel Monastery in Annaya and the Beirut Waterfront ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s anticipated visit to Lebanon from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, 2025.
A source at the Lebanese Presidency, which is overseeing the logistics for the Pope’s visit, told L’Orient Today Thursday that “all the places where the Pope will be visiting are being fixed, painted, prepared, and polished to welcome someone as great as our guest.”
At the Beirut Waterfront, where organizers expect around 100,000 people to gather for the grand Mass scheduled for Dec. 2 at 10:30 a.m., free ticket reservations have surged. Attendance is free but requires registration through ticketing box office.
According to a source at the Lebanese Presidency, “Worshippers have booked the tickets, the organizers are not withholding tickets for any religious or social figures.”
By the time of publication, every section except one, for standing places, had reached full capacity.
A video released on the Pope in Lebanon Instagram page shows ongoing construction on-site, accompanied by First Lady Nemat Aoun. The caption reads: “Preparations are underway for the site where the mass of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will be held… a moment that reflects the unity of faith at the heart of Lebanon.”
At the same time, restoration efforts are underway at the Mar Charbel Monastery in Annaya, one of the Pope’s most anticipated stops. A video posted Wednesday by the Pope in Lebanon page, in collaboration with First Lady Nemat Aoun’s account, showed construction crews installing tiles and restoring stonework. “In every stone restored at Mar Charbel’s monastery, a prayer is whispered for Lebanon. Preparing our sacred places… and our hearts,” the caption read.
According to the official schedule, Pope Leo XIV will visit the tomb of Saint Charbel Makhlouf at the Saint Maron Monastery in Annaya on Dec. 1 at 9:45 a.m., a moment expected to draw significant religious and media attention.
Many of the protocol and logistical details linked to the papal visit are being coordinated from the Baabda Presidential Palace, particularly through the office of First Lady Neemat Aoun. According to a source familiar with the preparations, the palace oversaw its own decoration, enhancements at Beirut International Airport, and part of the expenses for the large Waterfront mass. The First Lady's office declined to provide further details to L’Orient Today.
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