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Pope Leo XIV has concluded his three-day visit to Lebanon – wrapping up his first international trip as leader of the Catholic Church.
The Pontiff has offered prayers at the site of the 2020 Beirut port blast, one of the final stops in his three-day visit to Lebanon.
The Catholic leader prayed silently and lit a lamp on Tuesday morning at a monument to the more than 220 people that were killed and 6,500 injured in the explosion. The United States-born pontiff has urged peaceful coexistence across the Middle East during his inaugural trip abroad.
With mounds of rubble and the remains of the devastated facility within sight, the Pope shook hands, blessed and spoke with each one of the survivors and relatives of victims who were present.
“We are very grateful for this visit from the Pontiff,” said Cecile Roukoz, a lawyer whose brother died in the explosion. “We know that he raises his voice” for justice “and we need justice for our brothers and all the victims of this explosion”.
Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports from Beirut’s waterfront, Lebanon.
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