Pope Leo XIV urged Lebanon’s Christian community to anchor itself in peacebuilding, truth, and reconciliation as he met with bishops, clergy, and pastoral workers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa on the second day of his Apostolic Journey.

Speaking against the backdrop of the visit’s theme, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” the Pope recalled Saint John Paul II’s conviction that the Lebanese Church carries a unique responsibility to sustain hope during turbulent times. He said the personal stories he had just heard from four pastoral workers showed that this mission is still being lived “with concrete courage and perseverance.”

The Pope highlighted what he described as the spiritual foundation of Christian life in Lebanon. He said that in a country accustomed to hardship, the strength to endure often arises from prayer, which he described as “a hidden current binding people together,” and from remaining close to Christ even as violence, economic strain, and uncertainty persist.

He also reflected on the anchor used in the visit's logo, recalling the words of the late Pope Francis, who described faith as an anchor fixed in heaven, offering direction and steadiness;  a fixed point above the turmoil of daily life, guiding believers toward stability. Building peace, Pope Leo said, requires orienting one’s life toward that horizon, choosing acts of love and generosity instead of yielding to fear and loss.

Recalling Pope Benedict XVI’s 2012 visit to Lebanon, Pope Leo reiterated that the Christian response to crisis must favour forgiveness rather than revenge, unity rather than division, and service rather than domination.

At the same time, he recognised that many people continue to face injustice, exploitation, and lack of opportunity. The Church, he said, must open real pathways for them — “not symbolic gestures, but genuine opportunities that allow them to grow and move forward.”

Addressing the testimony of Loren, an immigrant supporting displaced families, the Pope said her story underscored the profound impact of war on civilians and the moral demand not to become indifferent. Migrants who arrive at Church doors, he insisted, must never feel turned away but received with dignity.

He also saluted Sister Dima, another social worker who recounted her experience before the Pope, praising her for keeping her school open even as violence erupted around it, turning it into a haven for learning, community, and protection. Education, he said, has long been central to the Church’s mission in Lebanon and must remain so, especially for those enduring the harshest conditions.

“Our first school is the Cross, and our only true Teacher is Christ as He teaches us how to face life," he said.

Pope Leo also praised the testimony given by Father Charbel about his work in prisons, saying that ministry behind bars challenges the Church to see every inmate not as a failure but as someone capable of healing and beginning again. Even in places marked by brokenness, he said, there are “signs of God’s patience and the beginnings of new stories.”

Before offering a Golden Rose to the Shrine, the Pope said the gesture expressed a call for believers to become a “breath of Christ’s presence” in their ordinary interactions; an invitation, he stressed, that applies to everyone and not to a select group.

Concluding his address, Pope Leo encouraged Lebanon’s Church to remain a builder of peace through steadfast faith, inclusive community life, and practical solidarity. These commitments, he said, are essential for restoring trust and nurturing hope as the country struggles to regain its footing.

البابا لاوون وسط الحشود من المكرسين والمكرسات في سيدة لبنان حريصا pic.twitter.com/IdsLbBMs2j

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