Tens of thousands hear Pope Leo call for an end to 'mindset of revenge and violence' at site of huge Beirut blast

BEIRUT — Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Lebanese capital to witness Pope Leo XIV's message of unity to a shattered city and a fractured state Tuesday

BEIRUT — Tens of thousands of people gathered in the Lebanese capital to witness Pope Leo XIV's message of unity to a shattered city and a fractured state Tuesday.

Before Mass, the pontiff stopped by the site of a powerful chemical explosion in August 2020 that killed 218 people and injured 7,000 as it tore through entire neighborhoods. At least 300,000 people were displaced by the blast.

After holding a moment of silent prayer in front of a memorial to the victims, he made his way to Beirut’s historic waterfront in his popemobile, waving to the enthusiastic crowds, some of whom had waited hours to catch a glimpse of him. Many waved Lebanese flags and flowers as hymns rang out.

Pope Leo waves to the faithful as he arrives in his popemobile to deliver a mass at Beirut's waterfront Tuesday.Anwar Amro; Chris McGrath / Getty ImagesIn front of a crowd of around 150,000 people, he called on Lebanon to “cast off the armor of our ethnic and political divisions” and address years of conflict, political paralysis and economic misery.

“The Middle East needs new approaches in order to reject the mindset of revenge and violence, to overcome political, social and religious divisions, and to open new chapters in the name of reconciliation and peace,” he said in his homily, speaking in French from the stage next to the shimmering Mediterranean.