Pope Leo is set to visit Lebanon ”by December”, in what could be his first trip outside Italy, Cardinal Bechara Rai announced to the al-Arabiya television channel. Rai, head of the 3.5-million-member Maronite Catholic Church, said preparations are “already underway,” though no exact date has been confirmed. A Vatican source, who wished to remain anonymous, said the Lebanon trip might be included in a wider tour, with Turkey also in consideration to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the early Church council held in Nicaea (now called Iznik). Lebanon is home to more than two million Catholics, making it a significant destination for the new pontiff.
