BEIRUT (Realist English). Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday visited the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, offering a silent prayer for the 218 victims as he concluded his multi-day trip to Lebanon.
The pontiff was also expected to meet relatives of those killed in the blast, which devastated large parts of the capital after hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate detonated in a warehouse, causing billions of dollars in damage. Five years later, no official has been convicted, and repeated obstruction of the judicial investigation has fuelled widespread anger in a country already burdened by decades of corruption and economic collapse.
Arriving in Beirut on Sunday, Leo urged Lebanon’s political leaders to “pursue the truth” as a foundation for peace and national reconciliation. His final day began with a visit to De La Croix Hospital, which specializes in mental health care, and is set to end with a Mass along the Beirut waterfront before his return to Rome.
Throughout the visit, the American-born pope sought to bring a message of peace and solidarity to a nation confronting prolonged economic and political turmoil. On Monday, he presided over a gathering of Lebanon’s Christian and Muslim spiritual leaders, highlighting the country’s interfaith coexistence as a powerful symbol of hope in a region scarred by conflict.
