The China Mail - Pope prays for peace in Lebanon and the region

Thousands of people cheered, ululated and threw rice in celebration as the pope travelled in the popemobile to a monastery in Annaya in the mountains north of Beirut which hosts the tomb of Saint Charbel, AFP photographers said.

Pope Leo arrived from Turkey on Sunday on his inaugural visit abroad as pontiff and brought a message of hope, particularly to young people in Lebanon whose faith in their crisis-hit country has dwindled.

"For the world, we ask for peace. We especially implore it for Lebanon and for the entire Levant," the pope said from deep inside the candle-lit stone monastery.

Saint Charbel, who was canonised in 1977, enjoys broad popularity in Lebanon beyond the Christian community, with depictions of the white-bearded saint found in homes, vehicles and workplaces.

The pontiff then visited Harissa, also north of Beirut, where a giant statue of Our Lady of Lebanon overlooks the Mediterranean from a plunging hilltop.

The shrine is visited by Lebanese of all faiths, and Pope Leo called it "a symbol of unity for the entire Lebanese people".

The crowd at the site's towering modern basilica erupted into cheers and applause as the pontiff entered, shaking hands with people including priests and nuns, some of whom kissed his hand.

Prayer "gives us the strength to continue to hope and work, even when surrounded by the sound of weapons and when the very necessities of daily life become a challenge", the pontiff told the packed gathering of bishops, other religious figures and pastoral workers, after hearing testimonies from participants.

- 'Message of peace' -

"I am reminded of the responsibility we all bear towards young people," Leo said.

"It is necessary, even among the rubble of a world that has its own painful failures, to offer them concrete and viable prospects for rebirth and future growth," he added.

Many Lebanese, particularly young people, left the country after a crushing economic crisis, widely blamed on official corruption and mismanagement, began in 2019.

Fears have grown in the country of a renewed war between Israel and Hezbollah despite a ceasefire in November 2024 that sought to end more than a year of hostilities.

Israel has intensified strikes on Lebanon in recent weeks despite the truce, while the cash-strapped Lebanese government is under heavy US pressure to disarm the Iran-backed militants.

Tony Elias, 43, a priest from the village of Rmeish along Lebanon's border with Israel, said that "we have lived through nearly two and a half years of war, but have never been without hope."

Leo "has come to confirm that what we have gone through has not been in vain, and we believe that he brings a real message of peace -- a living peace", he told AFP.

A day earlier, the pope called on Lebanon's leaders to serve their long-suffering people, and many Lebanese on Monday expressed their joy at the pontiff's visit.

"Everyone goes to Rome to see the pope, but he has come to us," said housewife Therese Daraouni, 61, who was among those waiting along the roadside to see Leo.

"This is the greatest blessing, and the greatest grace and hope for Lebanon. I hope people unite for the sake of Lebanon and its people," she told AFP.

- Inter-religious meeting -

Yasmine Chidiac, who was hoping to catch sight of Leo, said "we are very happy about the pope's visit. His trip has brought a smile back to our faces".

The pope is to hold an inter-religious event in central Beirut's Martyrs' Square with figures from many of Lebanon's 18 officially recognised religious denominations.

He will then meet young people at the patriarchate of Lebanon's Maronite church in Bkerke, outside the capital.

On Sunday, Leo called on Lebanon's leaders to place themselves "with commitment and dedication at the service" of the people and urged reconciliation in a country where divisions from the 1975-1990 civil war have never fully healed.

More than 10,000 people aged 16 to 35 have registered to attend, according to organisers, including more than 500 from abroad.

Authorities have proclaimed Monday and Tuesday as official holidays, and ramped-up security measures include road closures and a ban on all drone photography.

H.Ng--ThChM