Pope in Lebanon asks for 'divine gift of peace'

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Lebanon's tradition of interfaith coexistence Monday as a beacon of hope for a conflict-torn region, as he asked for "the divine gift of peace" alongside the country's Christian and Muslim religious leaders.

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POPE LEO XIV waves from the popemobile as he arrives to the Monastery of Saint Maroun in Annaya, Lebanon, Monday, Dec. 1, 2025.

(AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Leo received a raucous, ululating welcome from the crowds and a sincere welcome from its spiritual leaders on his first full day in Lebanon, where billboards with his image dotted highways around the capital. Thousands of ordinary Lebanese braved a steady rain in the morning to line his motorcade route, some throwing flower petals and rice on his car in a gesture of welcome.

History's first American pope is on his maiden papal voyage, and it has taken him to the heart of Christianity: First to Turkey to commemorate a founding profession of the Christian faith and now to Lebanon to encourage an ancient Christian community in a country that is unique in the Arab world for its religious tolerance.