Lebanon

The schedule and logos of the pope’s first international apostolic journey have been made public. In Iznik, a prayer will be held at the site of the ancient Basilica of Nicaea, where archaeological work is currently underway; in Istanbul, the pope will visit the Blue Mosque, but not Hagia Sophia (which Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI visited). In Lebanon, the pontiff will join an interfaith meeting in Martyrs' Square and stop at the port devastated by the 2020 explosion.

​Tomorrow the Armenian Catholic archbishop, martyr of the 1915 genocide, will be raised to the altar of the saints in a ceremony in St Peter's. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Patriarch Minassian will be present, along with hundreds of faithful from the diaspora. For many Armenians, ‘this historic day is also a day of justice’.

In the climate opened up by the meeting in Egypt, the Lebanese head of state announced his willingness to hold talks with the Jewish state. However, he did not specify whether these would be direct or not. The similarities between the disarmament of Hezbollah and Hamas in Gaza. Hezbollah and Amal are looking to the May 2026 elections to maintain their leadership on the Shiite side. And they aim to block any agreement that may be unwelcome.

Damascus wants to secure the release of fellow citizens who have been detained without trial in Lebanon for years and are ideologically close to HTS. Their arrest was based on ideological motives linked to mere suspicion. According to Lebanese ministerial sources, there are at least 2,100 of them, 55% of whom have never appeared in court. At the root of the controversy are the civil war in Syria and Hezbollah's hegemony.

Choosing a country that wants to return to being a model of pluralism is a “significant” step said Marwan Sehnaoui, president of the Order of Malta in Lebanon, speaking to AsiaNews. The visit will also include a meeting on Muslim-Christian dialogue. All leading government officials, including President Aoun, a Christian, and Parliamentary Speaker Nabib Berri, welcome the announcement of the visit, which will fulfil the late pope Francis’s wish to visit Lebanon.

The Vatican announced the visit for 27 November to 2 December. Together with Patriarch Bartholomew, Leo will commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which formulated the profession of faith that still unites Christians. The trip to Lebanon, which the late Francis wanted to visit, will take on particular significance given ongoing wars in the region. Cardinal Parolin speaks on the second anniversary of Hamas’s attacks on 7 October.

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the killing of the historic leader of the "Party of God" in an Israeli raid. Defying the prime minister and government directives, the Shia movement projected his face onto the Raouche Rock in front of thousands of supporters. A cabinet crisis is looming while Hezbollah might enjoy again impunity.

Speaking at the General Assembly, the president defended the value of ‘coexistence’ in the face of the “malignant” crises affecting it. The appeal for an ‘immediate cessation’ of Israeli aggression and the protection of borders and territorial integrity. The issue of Hezbollah's disarmament and the danger of a ‘new civil war’.

Five kilometres from the border with Israel, the institute founded under the Ottoman Empire in 1881 for Christian girls is fighting for survival. Fr Youssef Nasr: Catholic schools welcome around 190,000 students, 20% of the total and 30% of private schools. Non-Christians account for 30%, although in some areas the figure exceeds 60%. The economic challenge for survival and post-war ethnic tensions.

According to UNHCR, in just under nine months, over 200,000 have chosen to return. Some for the first time since 2011. For the authorities in Beirut, the departures “lighten” the Land of the Cedars from a “substantial demographic burden”. But there is also a counter-exodus: from Alawites fleeing the coast to Christians who dream of leaving after the attack on the church in Damascus.

The UN Security Council has extended UNIFIL’s mandate for one final year, until 31 December 2026, after the United States rejected further extensions. Present in Lebanon since 1978, UN peacekeepers now number 10,800. President Joseph Aoun was grateful towards the UN mission, while Israel reiterated its misgivings.

The Maronite patriarch said that the pontiff is expected by “December”. This visit could be part of the trip to Nicaea, in the footsteps of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. The Holy See has not provided any official information. A cautious approach prevails due to tensions in the southern Lebanon (one death today) and the controversy over Hezbollah's demilitarisation.