Pope Leo XIV arrives for a visit to the Sisters of the Cross hospital in the northern suburbs of Beirut, in Jdeideh, on December 2, 2025. He is welcomed by the head of the order, Sister Marie Makhlouf, on the left. (Credit: Andreas Solar/AFP)
BEIRUT — On the third and final day of his visit to Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV had an emotionally charged stop on Tuesday morning at the Deir-al Salib psychiatric hospital (hospital of the Cross), in Jal al-Dib (Metn).
Upon his arrival, the Pope was welcomed by the mother superior of the Sisters of the order of the Cross, Sister Marie Makhlouf, as well as by the patients, in the presence of First Lady Neemat Aoun and apostolic nuncio Paolo Borgia.
On the way to the hospital, hundreds of people lined up to catch a glimpse of the papal convoy.
The meeting took place in a room of the hospital that the Sisters of the order of the Cross renamed after Leo XIV. A choir made up of patients from the institution performed a song composed for the occasion.
The patients, seated in the front rows in the hall, welcomed Leo XIV with applause and ululations, waving Lebanese and Vatican flags. "Ahla w sahla," some in the audience called out to him.
Taking the floor, Sister Marie Makhlouf had to pause her speech several times, overcome with emotion. "This hospital welcomes those who have been forgotten by everyone. Your visit reminds them that they are loved by God," she said, her voice trembling.
"Today you tell them that they are not a burden to society but a treasure for the Church. Our mission is a daily miracle, as everyone who knows its reality is aware," she said, weeping. The pope himself appeared moved by her words.
"How can we persevere without support?" she then asked. "Despite everything, we keep our doors open wider. This is the great miracle of Father Yaacoub: we live from the little we receive without needing anything. We live for the moment when Abouna Yacoub will finally be canonized so that he may be an example of help to the poor." Father Yaacoub, or Jacques of Ghazir, was a Lebanese Capuchin, founder of the Franciscan Sisters of the order of the Cross of Lebanon and recognized as blessed by the Catholic Church in 2008.
A patient then addressed the pope: "Your visit is a light in our lives. We hope this place, full of joy and love, will be known to the whole world."
Don't lose the joy of this mission
"Sabah al-Kheir" (Good morning), Leo XIV began at the start of his speech, before continuing in French.
"I would first like to warmly greet you and assure you that you are in my heart and in my prayers," he said to the patients, as well as to the hospital's medical and administrative staff. He also paid tribute "to the blessed Father Jacques, Abouna Yaacoub, tireless apostle of charity whose holiness of life we recall, which was especially demonstrated by his love for the poorest and most suffering," as well as to the Franciscan Sisters of the order of the Cross who continue his work.
The pope then spoke directly to the hospital's caregivers and staff, expressing his understanding that "fatigue or discouragement can arise, especially due to the working conditions you find yourselves in, which are not always favorable."
He invited them "not to lose the joy of this mission" and "always keep in mind the good that you can accomplish."
"What happens in this place is an exhortation for all, for your land, but also for all humanity: we cannot forget the most vulnerable, we cannot imagine a society that rushes ahead, clinging to the false myths of well-being while ignoring the many situations of poverty and fragility," Leo XIV also declared.
"In particular, we Christians, as the Church of the Lord Jesus, are called to care for the poor."
To the patients, the Holy Father said: "Dear brothers and sisters who are marked by illness, I would just like to remind you that you are in the heart of God our Father. He holds you in the palm of his hand... Today, the Lord repeats to each one of you: I love you, you are my child! Never forget it!"
Then Leo XIV blessed the audience and received from the hands of the order's superior an icon of Father Yacoub as well as a badge embroidered by one of the nuns.
"Baba Laoun, we love you!" (Pope Leo, we love you), several people chanted in the crowd as the pope exited, shaking hands along the way. Before leaving the hospital, the pope spoke privately with patients and then headed to the Port of Beirut.