Pope Leo XIV Expected To Visit Lebanon In December

Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope elected in May, is expected to make his first foreign trip to Lebanon by December, with preparations already underway though no exact date has been confirmed. The visit, announced by Cardinal Bechara Boutros Raï, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, may be part of a broader tour that could include Turkey to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. Lebanon holds special significance for the Catholic Church, home to over two million Catholics and a substantial Maronite community, and the pope has expressed solidarity with the country following the devastating Beirut port explosion five years ago. This planned visit follows Pope Francis's unfulfilled intention to travel to Lebanon, hindered by political and health issues. Pope Leo has also called for peace in the Middle East and strengthened interreligious dialogue, as demonstrated in his meeting with Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun. The trip underscores the modern papacy’s tradition of international travel to engage with local Catholics and promote global diplomacy.