Pope Leo XIV concluded his six-day visit to the Middle East — his first foreign trip as pope, with stops in Turkey and Lebanon. On Dec. 2, thousands gathered along Beirut’s waterfront for a Mass, many arriving before dawn.

In Turkey, he visited the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and led prayers at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul , signaling solidarity with efforts toward unity with other Christian minority communities in Turkey.

Throughout the trip, Pope Leo preached a message of peace and reconciliation, especially in Lebanon, as Israeli strikes continue to threaten the fragile truce with Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim political and militant organization based in Lebanon.

In Beirut, Pope Leo visited a psychiatric hospital and silently prayed at the site of the 2020 port explosion,

See Full Page