Pope Leo XIV delivered his first address on Lebanese soil on the opening day of his Apostolic Journey, speaking to civil authorities, representatives of civil society, and the diplomatic corps at the Presidential Palace in Beirut. The Holy Father emphasized the theme of his visit, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” highlighting Lebanon’s urgent need for peace as both a vocation and daily practice.

“Peace in Lebanon is a desire and a vocation; it is a gift and a work in progress,” Pope Leo said. “You, who have important institutional tasks within this nation, are destined for a special beatitude if you can say that you have put the goal of peace above all else.”

The pope lauded the perseverance of the Lebanese people.

“You are a people who do not give up, but in the face of trials, always know how to rise again with courage,” he said. “Your resilience is an essential characteristic of authentic peacemakers, for the work of peace is indeed a continuous starting anew.”

He stressed that Lebanon’s unity is sustained by hope, “which has always enabled you to start again,” despite economic collapse, regional instability, and social conflict.

“You have suffered greatly from the consequences of an economy that kills, from global instability that has devastating repercussions also in the Levant, and from the radicalization of identities and conflicts. But you have always wanted, and known how, to start again,” he said.

Pope Leo stressed the importance of confronting Lebanon’s wounds for sustainable peace.

“There are personal and collective wounds that take many years, sometimes entire generations, to heal,” he said. “If we do not work, for example, to heal memories, to bring together those who have suffered wrongs and injustice, it is difficult to journey towards peace. We would remain stuck, each imprisoned by our own pain and our own way of thinking.”

He added that reconciliation must be coupled with truth: “Truth and reconciliation only ever grow together.”

Institutions, he said, must place the common good above private interests.

“Authorities and institutions must prioritize the common good, which is more than the sum of many interests.”

Addressing Lebanon’s ongoing emigration crisis, the pope recognized the difficult choices facing young people.

“It takes real courage and foresight to stay or return to one’s own country, and to consider even somewhat difficult situations worthy of love and dedication,” he said. “The Church does not want anyone to be forced to leave their country. We want those who wish to return home to be able to do so safely.”

He warned against sectionalism and excessive nationalism, urging a balance between local identity and global openness. Quoting Fratelli tutti, he said these are “two inseparable and equally vital poles in every society.”

Pope Leo also praised women for their role in fostering peace.

“Women have a special capacity for peacemaking, because they know how to cherish and strengthen the profound bonds with life, people and places,” he said. Their participation, he added, is “a factor of true renewal.”

Young people who remain or return, he noted, “contribute decisively to ensuring that the country may once again be a land full of life.”

Concluding his address, the pope called for shared responsibility across Lebanon’s religious, civil, and political actors.

“Dialogue, even amid disagreement, is the path that leads to reconciliation,” he said. “Even today, peace can transform the way you look at others and the way you live together in this land, a land that God deeply loves and continues to bless.”

“You have suffered greatly… But you have always wanted, and known how, to start again,” he stressed, highlighting that building a culture of peace requires courage, sacrifice, and active engagement from all sectors of society.