This is Beirut - Pope Francis

Pope Leo XIV to Visit Lebanon in Late November, Local Media Reports

This is Beirut, 23/09 11:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Joseph Aoun Pope Francis Turkey Pope Leo XIV

For weeks, speculation ran high about Pope Leo XIV’s possible visit to Lebanon, met with denials from the Apostolic Nuncio and silence from the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke. But the secrecy appears to be lifting. According to MTV Lebanon, the Vatican is set to officially confirm the papal visit, scheduled for November 30 to December 2. A ...

Pope Leo XIV in Lebanon at the End of November: What About the Visit’s Program?

This is Beirut, 19/09 12:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Joseph Aoun Pope Francis Lebanon Turkey

The much-anticipated visit of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon has reportedly been confirmed by senior church officials, according to the daily Nidaa al-Watan. Although no official announcement has yet been made by the Holy See, preparations—both spiritual and protocolary—are said to already be underway to welcome the head of the Catholic Church. The ...

Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati Canonized: Watchers of the Same Dawn

Fady Noun, 07/09 08:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Pope Francis USA Catholic church

Two young men, Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) and Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925), are to be canonized together in Rome on Sunday, September 7, 2025. Both owe their “elevation to the glory of the altars” to two remarkable miracles officially recognized by the Church, too detailed to recount here. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati were ...

'God's Influencer' to Become First Millennial Saint

This is Beirut, 05/09 09:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Pope Francis Carlo Acutis Saint Pope Leo

An Italian teenager dubbed "God's Influencer" for his efforts to spread the Catholic faith online will become the first millennial saint Sunday at a canonization attended by thousands of pilgrims. Computer whiz Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 aged 15, will be raised to sainthood by Pope Leo XIV in a solemn ceremony in St Peter's Square ...

Leon XIV to Visit Lebanon 'by December,' Pending Official Confirmation

Fady Noun, 22/08 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Pope Francis Hezbollah Middle East Lebanon Maronite

The announcement quickly sparked a media storm in both Lebanon and Italy: Pope Leo XIV is expected to visit Lebanon “by December.” According to Patriarch Rai, the trip would mark the Pope’s first journey outside Italy since his election. “We are waiting for the Vatican to announce the exact date of the visit,” he told ...

Pope Leo Says Hopes to Visit Turkey in Months Ahead

This is Beirut, 17/07 16:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Pope Francis Turkey Vatican

Pope Leo XIV confirmed Thursday he hoped to visit Turkey in the coming months for a Christian religious commemoration, in what could be his first overseas trip as pontiff. "I hope to be able to meet you again in a few months to take part in the ecumenical commemoration of the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea," Leo said at a meeting with ...

The Dual Peril Facing Eastern Christians

Fady Noun, 12/07 09:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Pope Francis Damascus Christians Lebanon Massabki brothers Syria

On June 22, a deadly bombing inside Damascus’s Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Elijah during Mass claimed 25 lives and left around 50 injured. In response, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, Youhanna X, rightly declared that the victims deserve to be honored as martyrs of the faith, just as those who perished in past tragedies in Lebanon, ...

Climate Change: Salvation Through Poetry

Fady Noun, 05/07 09:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Pope Francis Donald Trump Europe USA global warming

The current heatwave scorching Europe and the drought gripping Lebanon trace back to a single root cause: climate disruption driven by global warming and soaring CO₂ emissions—both reflecting what Pope Francis memorably called “despotic anthropocentrism,” a worldview that elevates humankind above all else, heedless of the rich diversity ...

Aoun Arrives in Rome for Official Visit to the Vatican

This is Beirut, 12/06 16:15 - Reading : less than a minute

Joseph Aoun Pope Francis US Secretary of State

President Joseph Aoun and First Lady Nehmat Aoun arrived in Rome on Thursday afternoon, marking the beginning of an official and familial visit to the Vatican. The presidential couple landed at Ciampino Military Airbase, where they were greeted by Vatican and Lebanese diplomatic officials. Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to receive President Aoun in a ...

From Jerusalem to Beirut, a Unique Journal: Proche-Orient Chrétien

Fady Noun, 01/06 11:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Pope Francis Israel Lebanese University Middle East Palestine

“The Middle East is a powder keg that has exploded! At this moment, the damage cannot be measured, and the future seems more uncertain than ever. The excess of violence and the prevailing chaos leave us perplexed and challenge both political and religious authorities. International interference suggests a plan to reconfigure the region — but ...

Pope Leo XIV and the Call for Unity 1,700 Years After Nicaea

Ryan Chaba, 20/05 14:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Pope Francis

The First Ecumenical Council in history was convened by Emperor Constantine on May 20, 325, with a clear purpose: to restore the unity of the Church in the face of doctrinal divisions. The goal was to define the faith, establish its core foundations and create a common framework for all of Christianity. This was encapsulated in the Nicene Creed, ...

Pope Meets Vance ahead of Ukraine Ceasefire Push

This is Beirut, 19/05 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Pope Francis United States Vatican

Pope Leo XIV received US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican on Monday, ahead of a US-led push to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Vatican released photographs of Vance and Rubio smiling as they met with the Chicago-born pontiff, who was elected as head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics on May 8 ...