Pope Leo XIV’s first international trip will take him to Türkiye and Lebanon in late November and early December.
And Maronite Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, who lives in Sydney, and some Lebanese Australians will be there to welcome him, including a small contingent of Maronite youth from Our Lady of Lebanon co-cathedral in Harris Park.
The pope will be in Türkiye from 27 to 30 November and in Lebanon from 30 November to 2 December.
The visit to Türkiye will include a pilgrimage to İznik to mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. İznik, the site of the ancient city of Nicaea, is about 90 kilometres from Istanbul.
In Türkiye, Leo will meet Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s 260 million Orthodox Christians, for celebrations marking the council, which is a landmark for Christian theology.
The pope’s itinerary in Lebanon has not been released, but he is sure to receive a tumultuous welcome.
The Pope is likely to participate in a commemoration of the catastrophic 2020 Beirut port explosion that killed 200 people. Lebanon has about six million people and has the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle East. It is the only Arab nation with a Christian head of state, President Joseph Aoun, who is a Maronite.
“The visit comes at a time of economic, humanitarian, and geopolitical turmoil in the region and stands as a profound sign of peace and hope, not merely for the Catholics in Lebanon, but for Christians and all people throughout the Middle East,” Bishop Tarabay told The Catholic Weekly.
“His decision to visit Lebanon during this first international trip is testament to his closeness to the struggling people and the vulnerable who have suffered deeply yet remain steadfast in hope … The Holy Father’s presence will bring comfort and hope renewal to the entire Lebanese nation.”
This will be the first papal visit to Lebanon since Pope Benedict XVI went there in September 2012.
Pope St John Paul II also visited Lebanon in May 1997. There he delivered a memorable document, “A New Hope for Lebanon”. He praised Lebanon for delivering a “message of freedom and an example of pluralism for East and West.” In addition to his theological message, he emphasised Lebanon’s independence, Arab identity, and Christian heritage.
“Pope Leo’s forthcoming visit reaffirms this deep affection, enduring hope and positive vision for Lebanon,” said Bishop Tarabay.
The Apostolic Vicar of Beirut, Bishop César Essayan, told Vatican News that both Christians and Muslims were looking forward to the visit. They wanted, he said, “To hear him speak words that we no longer hear from anyone except from a pastor, a father who desires that human beings come together as brothers and sisters, that there be another language than that of war for Lebanon.”
According to unconfirmed government sources, Pope Leo will be welcomed at Beirut airport by President Aoun; the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, who is a Shia Muslim; and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who is a Sunni Muslim.
