Pope Leo XIV’s inaugural overseas journey has concluded. This six-day spiritual visit concluded on Tuesday in Beirut.
Our presence was in strife-ridden Lebanon, only a few miles from the nation’s pivotal explosion site, where on August 4, 2020, a catastrophic blast at Beirut’s port claimed over 200 lives, injured thousands, and rendered more than 300,000 people without homes.
Five years later, the Lebanese government has yet to finalize its inquiry into how nearly three tons of ammonium nitrate, stored in the port, detonated, resulting in the largest non-nuclear explosion recorded. On the fourth day of every month, victims’ families assemble at the port to protest the government’s inaction and perceived corruption.
Pope Leo paid solemn tribute at the port with a silent prayer and by lighting a lamp in remembrance of the victims.
Earlier in the day, Salvatore Scolozzi, the Vatican’s press officer, was conducting a roll call for the 80 accredited journalists in the marble hallway of Beirut’s Intercontinental Phoenicia Hotel.
All the windows of this luxurious hotel were shattered during the 2020 explosion, leading to injuries among staff and guests, and the destruction of all furnishings. “It felt as if all the air was drawn out of the building, and there was glass fragments and dust everywhere,” a staff member recounted to me, noting that no fatalities occurred. After extensive refurbishment, the hotel reopened its doors in 2023 but remains encircled by burned-out, skeletal structures.
In the lobby, Scolozzi issued a warning: “Non fare ritardi VAMPS, don’t be late.” He and his team dedicated over a year to organizing this demanding six-day schedule, which was initially planned for a later date.
We are collectively known as the VAMPS, or Vatican Accredited Media Personnel, hailing from 15 different countries on this trip. Following our 5:30 a.m. check-in for our return flight to Rome, the discussions in the lobby revolved around what questions to pose to the new pontiff during the eagerly anticipated in-flight press conference en route to Italy.
Typically, each language group formulates a question for the press briefing, and debates can become quite animated. “He will never address that,” was the comment after a colleague proposed inquiring whether the Pope’s acknowledgments of the significant role of women during the trip signaled his openness to female deacons.
Initially, concerns were raised that Pope Leo might not engage with journalists at all while on board.
However, we were relieved when the curtain parted on our chartered Airbus flight from Istanbul to Beirut, revealing a rather shy-looking Pope Leo addressing difficult questions such as the conflict in Gaza. He confirmed the Vatican’s long-standing endorsement of a two-state solution, yet firmly stated, “Israel is our friend.”
Pope Leo aims not to polarize; he is measured and diplomatic, and, six months into his papacy, appears to be gaining confidence and making his speeches more incisive. He kept to his prepared remarks in his native English and, while in Lebanon, also spoke excellent French and uttered a few words of Arabic as he emphasized the need for peace among local authorities, diverse religious groups, and the nation’s youth.
At Monday’s evening celebration with young people, a gathering akin to a Christian Woodstock, he commended the Lebanese who had not emigrated and those who had returned. “Have hope, do not depart; your country requires your presence!”
Nada Merhi, a local Maronite Catholic volunteer who was only five when the civil war of 1975-1990 shattered her family’s life, expressed her deep love for her country. She asserted she would never leave despite the economic and political crises and the renewed violence following the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah’s assault on Israel, which occurred weeks after Hamas’s massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Andre Sassine, a small-business owner from Byblos, a coastal city approximately 20 miles north of Beirut, maintains an optimistic outlook. “Business will flourish if we simply have peace. The Muslims in Lebanon are not the problem; do not believe the media, the issue lies with external countries exerting influence and corruption,” he stated, adding his belief that President Donald Trump, whose daughter Tiffany married a man of Lebanese descent, could collaborate with the pontiff.
“We Lebanese hold America dear,” he stated, “and we admire this new Pope, who was born in America. Please assist us in achieving peace.”