Pope Leo XIV embarked on a visit to Lebanon’s holy sites on Monday, aiming to highlight the significance of the country’s religious diversity. His journey serves as a powerful reminder to Christians to remain steadfast in the region despite challenges, while also acknowledging the country’s interfaith harmony that attracts both Christians and Muslims.

In recent decades, the Middle East has witnessed a mass exodus of Christians, driven away by conflicts and the rise of extremist factions. This demographic shift has alarmed many, prompting calls for support and solidarity with the remaining Christian communities.

Arriving in Beirut on Sunday from Turkey, where his visit began on November 27, Pope Leo urged Lebanon’s leaders to embrace peace and unity. His message of hope was intended to inspire a nation long burdened by strife and reinforce the presence of a vital Christian community within the Middle East.

As a country with a Muslim majority and a significant Christian population—about one-third—Lebanon holds a special place in the Vatican’s interests. It stands as a crucial haven for Christians amid a predominantly Muslim region.

Despite enduring numerous crises, Lebanon’s Christians continue to experience religious freedom and wield considerable political clout. Since its independence from France in 1943, Lebanon has maintained a unique power-sharing framework. This arrangement ensures that the presidency is held by a Maronite Christian, the parliament speaker is a Shiite Muslim, and the prime minister is a Sunni Muslim.

This distinctive political structure makes Lebanon the only Arab nation with a Christian head of state, underscoring its role as a beacon of religious coexistence in the region.

Leo visits the Tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf and the Shrine of of Our Lady of Lebanon on Monday, both north of the capital. The sites draw large numbers of Christian and Muslim visitors and pilgrims.

He also is set to hold an interreligious meeting with leaders of other sects in central Beirut and meet young groups at the Maronite patriarchate.

Here is the latest:

Leo opens day in Lebanon

Pope Leo XIV is opening his first full day in Lebanon with a visit to the tomb of a saint revered among Christians and Muslims throughout the region.

Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims visit the monastery of St. Maroun in Annaya to pray at the tomb of St. Charbel Makluf, a Lebanese Maronite hermit who lived from 1828 to 1898. He is known today for many alleged miraculous healings that have occurred after people prayed for his intercession.

Leo’s visit to the tomb, the first by a pope, opens a busy day.

History’s first American pope will meet with Catholic priests and nuns at a shrine in Harissa and then preside over an interfaith gathering with some of Lebanon’s Muslim leaders in Beirut.

He will end the day in Bkerke at a rally for Lebanese young people. Leo is expected to encourage them to persevere despite Lebanon’s many crises and challenges.

Leo arrived Sunday in Lebanon from Turkey, where he opened his first trip as pope. He wraps up his visit on Tuesday with a prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut port blast and a Mass on the waterfront.