Pope Leo will meet leaders from Lebanon's diverse religious sects on Monday and is expected to urge Lebanese not to abandon their country despite years of conflict, political paralysis and economic crisis that have prompted waves of migration.

Pope Leo XIV's visit to Lebanon highlights the country's religious pluralism and sends a message to Christians not to abandon the region.

Pope Leo XIV touched down in Lebanon’s capital Beirut on Sunday as he began a three-day visit to the nation at the heart of a Middle East battered by recent conflicts.

The motto of the pope’s trip is “Blessed are the peacemakers.” He prayed that the “desire for peace, which comes from God,” would grow among all Lebanese because, “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.”

Pope Leo XIV, arriving in Lebanon, has challenged the nation's political leaders to be true peacemakers and put their differences aside at a fraught moment for the country.

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, as part of his first foreign trip aiming to bring a message of peace to a region marked by war and tensions.

Pope Leo has visited Beirut on his first foreign trip, bringing a message of peace in a time of turmoil - barely a week after Israeli warplanes bombed the Lebanese capital.

Pope Leo XIV’s visits holy sites in Lebanon on Monday that draw Christian and Muslims as he seeks to recognize the importance of the country's religious pluralism and also send

Pontiff, traveling in a closed popemobile with troops deployed along motorcade route, is set to preside over interfaith gathering of Christian and Muslim leaders in Beirut