Pope Leo to visit Lebanon in likely first trip abroad
Pope Leo XIV is planning to visit Lebanon later this year, the country’s top Catholic official announced Wednesday, in what would mark the new pontiff’s first trip abroad since his election in May.
Cardinal Bechara Rai, head of Lebanon’s 3.5-million-member Maronite Catholic Church, told al-Arabiya television that the pope would travel to Lebanon “by December,” with preparations already underway. A Lebanese official confirmed that discussions were ongoing, though no exact date has been set, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Pope Leo, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, succeeded the late Pope Francis, who had hoped to visit Lebanon but was unable to do so due to health concerns. Lebanon is home to more than two million Catholics, according to Vatican figures.
A Vatican spokesperson declined immediate comment, but another Vatican official, speaking anonymously, said the Lebanon visit could be part of a broader trip that may also include Türkiye. Pope Leo has been expected in Türkiye in late November for events marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, held in modern-day Iznik.
Foreign travel has long been central to the papacy, with popes using visits to strengthen ties with local Catholics and highlight global challenges. Pope Francis made 47 foreign trips to 68 countries over his 12-year papacy, often focusing on regions he described as the “peripheries” of the world.
Earlier this month, Pope Leo sent a message to Lebanon to mark the fifth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, which killed more than 200 people and devastated the capital. “Beloved and suffering Lebanon remains at the centre of our prayers,” the pope said.
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