With a feeling of pride and joy, we follow up from Jordan the preparations under way in our fraternal country, Lebanon, to welcome His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his first Apostolic Journey since assuming the Petrine succession on May 8. He chose both Turkey and Lebanon as his two legs of this historic visit, in a clear indication of the deep Christian roots in these two territories and the spiritual importance they continue to hold for the universal Church.

The Turkish first leg of his visit evokes a profound heritage since Turkey hosted 1,700 years ago, one of the most important ecumenical councils that laid the foundations of the Christian creed, namely the Council of Nicaea. From that premise, Pope Leo wants to express his appreciation for the steadfast Christian presence since the birth of Christianity, despite the difficulties it has endured throughout the centuries, particularly at the start of the 20^th century which witnessed massacres and genocide that claimed the lives of thousands of Christians and forcibly displaced others.

As for Lebanon, which is getting ready nowadays for a 4th Papal visit in its modern history, it has welcomed three pontiffs, two of whom were canonized. The first visit was by Saint Paul VI in 1964. It was a brief 50-minute visit at the airport, but it marked a historic moment when nearly a quarter of a million people rushed to welcome him. The second visit was in 1997 by Saint John Paul II, who had a special affection for Lebanon, describing it as "Lebanon is more than a country: It is a message of freedom." In Beirut, he signed his Apostolic Exhortation following the Synod dedicated to Lebanon. About half a million people attended the Holy Mass. The third visit was by Pope Benedict XVI, who chose the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (September 14) in 2012, merely a few months before his resignation in February 2013 when he signed his Apostolic Exhortation on the Church in the Middle East: "Communion and Witness." This visit to Lebanon marked the end of his apostolic journeys.

Lebanon maintained a powerful presence in the heart of Pope Francis, who repeatedly expressed his sincere desire to visit this country, but circumstances did not allow this dream to be realized. Today, the dream comes true with the 267th successor of St. Peter, Pope Leo XIV, whose name is linked to a rich ecclesiastical history, namely Pope Leo Saint the Great (4th and 5th centuries), the author of the famous phrase, "Know, O Christian your dignity!" and Leo XIII who established what we know today as the Church's social teaching, namely the teachings on social, political, and economic issues, and how to apply Christian values ​​in society.

Pope Leo XIV's visit to Lebanon takes place at a critical moment, as the Land of the Cedars faces significant political and economic challenges, in the wake of bloody wars that left numerous martyrs and wounds that continue to bleed. After COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut Port explosion, that shook the capital and the world, as well as in these circumstances, the Pope conveys a clear message, namely: To maintain Lebanon "beautiful and noble," as Paul VI described it; to remain "a message," as John Paul II viewed it; that it may preserve "common living," as Benedict XVI affirmed; and "Blessed are peacemakers", according to the motto of Pope Leo's visit.