Approximately 150,000 attendees gathered for an outdoor mass led by Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday at Beirut’s waterfront, according to the Vatican’s press service, who referenced Lebanese official data.
From early morning, tens of thousands flocked to the service on the pope’s third and final day in the crisis-stricken country.
The pontiff, arriving from Turkey on Sunday for his first international trip as pope, delivered a message of hope, especially to Lebanon’s youth, whose confidence in their troubled nation has waned.
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His visit offered a much-needed reprieve in a nation still recovering from last year’s conflict with Israel, with prevalent fears of renewed violence. Yasmine Chidiac, eager to see Pope Leo on Monday, remarked that the visit “has brought a smile back to our faces”.
Security Measures in Central Beirut
Over 120,000 people have registered for the mass near Beirut’s waterfront. Starting Monday evening, authorities will restrict access in central Beirut where the mass occurs and establish checkpoints.
Before visiting the port, site of the catastrophic explosion that ravaged the capital and claimed over 220 lives, the pope will tour a nun-operated psychiatric hospital in the capital.
Pope Leo will then conduct a silent prayer at the explosion site, honoring the victims’ families and survivors still seeking justice.
Photo: Reuters
Photo: Reuters
Photo: Reuters
The August 4, 2020 catastrophe was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions globally, devastating large areas of Beirut.
Officials stated that the explosion was caused by a fire in a warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer were stored recklessly for years, despite multiple warnings to high-ranking officials.
The investigation remains unresolved, with political interference hindering the independent judge’s efforts.
On Monday, the pope urged Christian and Muslim leaders at an interfaith meeting to fight intolerance and violence.
He received a warm welcome from thousands of Lebanese youth in Bkerke, the Maronite church’s headquarters, encouraging them to forge “a new future”. “You have the enthusiasm to change the course of history,” he told around 15,000 young Lebanese.
