Cuba present at the official reception of Pope Leo XIV at the Presidential Palace in Lebanon
Ambassador Jorge P. León Cruz was present at the official welcoming ceremony for Pope Leo XIV, held at the Presidential Palace on his first official visit to Lebanon.
A warm welcome marked the arrival of His Holiness in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, the second stop on the Pope's first apostolic journey. He was received by the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, who also welcomed him upon his arrival at the Presidential Palace.
He also held brief welcome meetings with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri, and later with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, as part of the reception of representatives of the three pillars of the Lebanese confessional system: Maronite, Shiite, and Sunni.
The official welcome ceremony concluded at the Presidential Palace in the presence of officials, religious leaders, the diplomatic corps, and representatives of Lebanese civil society, where President Joseph Aoun welcomed Pope Leo XIV with a message of determination: “Tell the world that we will not die, that we will not leave, that we will not despair, that we will not give up, and that we remain the only meeting place in our entire region, and I would almost say in the whole world.”
In his speech, the pontiff called on people to remain in their homeland with hope, highlighted religious diversity, and urged them to heal collective wounds in order to build lasting peace.
In his message, he stressed the importance of “reconciliation” as the path to a peaceful future. He also praised a vibrant civil society and encouraged the authorities to “never separate themselves from their people, to be at the service of their people, rich in their diversity, and to speak the only language of hope.”
The Supreme Pontiff's visit to Lebanon, a country long considered a model of religious diversity in the Middle East, will complete an intense program that will culminate on December 2 with the celebration of Holy Mass on the Beirut seafront (Homily of the Holy Father), followed by the official farewell ceremony at Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut.