Pope tells Aoun: ‘Let's mobilize all our energies in service of peace, common good’

President Joseph Aoun said Thursday that he had received a letter from Pope Leo XIV in which the pontiff renewed his deep attachment to Lebanon and called for “mobilizing all our energies in the service of peace.”

“Let us continue to mobilize all our energies in the service of peace and the common good,” the pope wrote in a letter addressed to the president in response to a message Aoun had sent marking the first anniversary of the beginning of his pontificate.

In his message, Aoun welcomed “the Holy See’s steadfast position, its ongoing closeness and its repeated interventions on behalf of the Lebanese, which bear witness to a solidarity that honors our shared history.”

“Your Holiness’ calls to end violence, respect human rights and protect the most vulnerable groups have found deep resonance and great appreciation in Lebanon,” he added.

Pope Leo XIV visited Lebanon at the end of 2025 and said he was “closer than ever” to the Lebanese people, whose protection he described as a “moral obligation.”