POPE LEO PUSHES PEACE MESSAGE – Pope Leo met leaders from Lebanon’s diverse religious sects on Monday
Pope Leo met leaders from Lebanon’s diverse religious sects on Monday and urged Lebanese not to abandon their country despite years of conflict, political paralysis and economic crisis that have prompted waves of migration.
The pontiff visited Lebanon’s Catholic community before hosting a dialogue with members of the Sunni Muslim, Shi’ite and Druze communities, as well as migrant workers and other Christians.
The pope, on what he has described as a mission of peace, has urged Lebanon’s leaders to persevere with peace efforts in the aftermath of last year’s devastating war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, and continued Israeli strikes.
Pope Leo is visiting Lebanon until Tuesday on the second leg of his first overseas trip, which started in Turkey.
Lebanon, which has the largest share of Christians in the Middle East, has been rocked by the spillover of the Gaza conflict, as Israel and the Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim militant group Hezbollah went to war, culminating in an Israeli offensive.
The country, which hosts 1 million Syrian and Palestinian refugees, also is struggling to emerge from a severe economic crisis following decades of profligate spending that sent the economy into a tailspin in late 2019.
