El-Mounayer added, “The Pope’s visit to Türkiye and Lebanon is hugely significant for Middle Eastern Christians at this time. And it is not only Christians who need this: the whole region is longing for a message of hope, peace and encouragement.”

From trauma victims to migrant domestic workers, the pope inspired some of Lebanon’s most vulnerable as he presided over a waterfront mass in Beirut.

Irish peacekeepers left Camp Shamrock at 1am to join thousands of people attending a waterfront mass in Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, which marked the last stop for Pope Leo XIV on his first trip abroad as head of the Catholic Church.

Pope Leo XIV called for an end to hostilities in Lebanon and new approaches for peace in the Middle East before returning to Rome on Tuesday, ending his inaugural visit