Pope urges Middle East to reject ‘horror of war’ at end of first overseas trip

Joshua McElwee and Katherine Cartier, Reuters

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Pope Leo bade farewell to Lebanon on Tuesday with a fervent appeal to leaders across the Middle East to listen to their people’s cries for peace and to change course away from the “horror of war.” The pope wrapped up his first overseas trip by addressing 150,000 people at a Mass on Beirut’s historic waterfront, where he pleaded for Lebanon to address years of conflict, political crises, and economic misery. “The path of mutual hostility and destruction in the horror of war has been travelled too long, with the deplorable results that are before everyone’s eyes,” Leo said. “We need to change course. We need to educate our hearts for peace!”