Pope Leo XIV paid tribute Tuesday morning to the Sisters of the Cross during a visit to their convent hospital in Jal el-Dib, thanking them for “the joy, light, and compassion” they offer daily. He lauded their century-old mission, founded by Abouna (Father) Yaacoub, as a “living witness to Christ’s love for the poor and those who are suffering,” a mission embodied in the convent hospital’s care for patients with mental illnesses.
Addressing the nuns and medical staff, the pope urged them “never to lose the joy of service, even when fatigue or discouragement set in,” describing their work as “a lesson for the country and for all humanity.” He also saluted the hospital’s personnel, whose professionalism and compassion, he said, “embody God’s mercy in concrete ways.” “We Christians are called to listen to the cry of the poor,” he added, praying that God accompany them in their work.
The pontiff was greeted in the convent courtyard by Sisters of the Cross who run educational, medical, and scouting institutions. Inside the main hall, a patient choir, “Reliques de Abouna Yaacoub,” performed a composed hymn, Notre Espérance, written by Nizar Francis and set to music by Maestro Elie Elia.
Sister Marie Makhlouf, the order’s Superior General, welcomed the pope as a “messenger of peace and love.” Fighting back emotion, she reaffirmed the convent’s commitment to serving “the poor, the forgotten, and the sick,” despite “crises, wars, and state failures”. “We live on the widow’s mite and the offering of the generous,” she said, thanking the pontiff for being “the father of the marginalized and the abandoned.”
Beginning early Tuesday morning, hundreds of faithful gathered along the coastal road, hoping to get a glimpse of the papal convoy on the third and final day of his visit to Lebanon. Authorities deployed heavy security measures and closed several roads.
Lebanese and Vatican flags lined the route, alongside banners hailing Leo XIV as the “Pope of Peace.” In tribute to the visit, Jal el-Dib municipal president George Zard Abou Jaoudeh announced that the road linking Jal el-Dib Square to Saint George Square will be renamed Avenue Leo XIV.
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