Pope Leo XIV is visiting holy sites in Lebanon on Monday as he seeks to recognize the importance of the country's religious pluralism and also send a message to Christians not to abandon the region.

ANNAYA, Lebanon -- ANNAYA, Lebanon (AP) — Pope Leo XIV prayed Monday at the tomb of a Lebanese saint revered among Christians and Muslims as he opened his first full day in Lebanon with a message of peace and religious coexistence in a region torn by conflict.

Pope Leo XIV will urge peace and unity on his second day in Lebanon on Monday, offering a message of hope to young people whose faith in their crisis-hit country has dwindled.

Lebanon, which hosts the Middle East's largest share of Christians, is expected to hammer home his plea for Christian-Muslim coexistence.

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’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