Pope Leo XIV met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Vatican on 20 August as church officials voiced deep concern over stalled efforts to secure peace along the Lebanon-Israel border.
Following their meeting, Aoun conferred with the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and its foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher. Talks centered on the US-brokered Trilateral Framework Agreement aimed at stabilizing southern Lebanon.
While the Holy See welcomed the pact, it warned that implementation is faltering. The 14-point agreement, brokered by the United States 26 June, outlines a phased roadmap to end hostilities in southern Lebanon by disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group and ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Violence has persisted since fighting erupted in March. Lebanese health officials report over 4,300 dead and 12,300 wounded. Aoun thanked the pontiff for his diplomatic efforts, urging the Vatican to help halt Israeli strikes and secure a full withdrawal.
He also stressed that “these steps must coincide with extending the Lebanese state’s authority over its entire territory and confining the decision of war and peace solely to its hands, as the only path to achieving security and stability along the borders.”
