Pope Leo’s first international trip could be to Lebanon, cardinal says

Rome: Pope Leo XIV is planning to visit Lebanon this year on his first foreign visit, the country’s Catholic cardinal said, a trip that would give history’s first American pope a chance to speak in broad terms about peace in the Middle East and the plight of Christians there.A visit to Lebanon could be the second leg of a planned visit to Turkiye at the end of November to commemorate an important anniversary with the Orthodox Church.

Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, the patriarch of the Lebanese Maronite faithful, told the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that Leo “will visit Lebanon.”

“It’s unclear to be honest when he will visit, but he will visit anytime from now until December,” the cardinal said when asked about a possible visit.

“There needs to be an agreement from the Vatican on when the visit will happen. But there are preparations for the visit, but it’s unclear until the Vatican’s announcement.”

Leo, like his predecessor Pope Francis, has consistently called for peace and dialogue in the Middle East, especially as Israel’s offensive rages on in Gaza.

The last pope to visit Lebanon was Pope Benedict XVI in September 2012 on what was the last foreign trip of his papacy.

A Vatican spokesperson on Thursday declined to confirm or deny a

trip by Leo.