Cuba present at Pope Leo XIV's mass in Beirut
Pope Leo XIV bids farewell to Lebanon with a mass attended by more than 150,000 faithful on the Beirut seafront, attended by Ambassador Jorge P. León Cruz and the head of consular affairs, Mayra Nieves Escobar, who, as part of the invited diplomatic corps, received a personal greeting upon arrival from the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, the President of Parliament, Nabih Berri, and the Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam.
The Supreme Pontiff toured the esplanade in a covered popemobile amid the enthusiasm of the faithful of the country's Catholic community, around 30% of the population, in the most crowded event of his first international trip.
Earlier, Pope Leo XIV offered a prayer at the site of the explosion in the port, where he was able to comfort some of the relatives of the 245 victims of the tragedy of August 4, 2020.
In his homily during Holy Mass, Pope Leo XIV made an appeal: “Lebanon, be a dwelling place of justice and fraternity! Be a prophecy of peace for the entire Levant!” He also expressed his gratitude for these intense days shared with joy and urged people to disarm their hearts so that peace and justice may triumph.
He invited the Lebanese people to cultivate attitudes of praise and gratitude: I address this invitation to cultivate attitudes of praise and gratitude precisely to you, dear Lebanese people. To you, who are recipients of the unique beauty with which the Lord has adorned your land and who, at the same time, are spectators and victims of how evil, in its many forms, can tarnish this wonder. “From this esplanade overlooking the sea, I too can contemplate the beauty of Lebanon sung about in Scripture.”
With this Mass, the Pope concluded his visit to Lebanon from November 30 to December 2, 2025, following a first stop on his official visit to the Republic of Türkiye, in what was Leo XIV's first international trip since his election on May 8.