Pope Leo XIV referred to his upcoming apostolic journey to both Turkey and Lebanon as a visit of “hope and peace,” emphasizing the importance of “dialogue to end the war in Ukraine and the Middle East.”
Speaking about the second part of his trip, the Pope stated: “I am very happy to be able to visit Lebanon.”
The Pope alluded to “reasons for concern” in response to a journalist’s question about Israel’s bombing of “Hezbollah” in Beirut. According to Vatican News, the Pope issued an appeal urging everyone to “find ways to give up the use of weapons as a means of solving problems.”
The Pope also stressed “working to find solutions to the issues that concern us,” noting the need to “encourage everyone to strive for peace and strive for justice, because violence is often the result of injustice.”
