Sawt Falasteen - Tens of thousands flock to pope's Beirut mass

The pontiff arrived from Turkey on Sunday on his inaugural visit abroad as pope and brought a message of hope, particularly to young people in Lebanon whose faith in their country has dwindled.

He has received a jubilant welcome in a nation beset by a years-long economic collapse and which is still reeling from a war last year between Israel and militant group Hezbollah, with many fearing renewed hostilities.

Lebanon, he told the crowd during his homily, is "overshadowed by the many problems that afflict you, the fragile and often unstable political context, the dramatic economic crisis that weighs heavily upon you and the violence and conflicts that have reawakened ancient fears".

"Let us cast off the armour of our ethnic and political divisions, open our religious confessions to mutual encounter and reawaken in our hearts the dream of a united Lebanon. A Lebanon where peace and justice reign, where all recognise each other as brothers and sisters," he said.

"Everyone must do their part, and we must unite our efforts so that this land can return to its former glory," he added.

Arriving for the service on the last day of his trip, the pope wound his way through the crowd in his popemobile as people offered roses, with senior officials including President Joseph Aoun also in attendance.

- 'Sign of hope' -

"We came with joy to participate in this heavenly celebration," said Samira Khoury, among some 150,000 people in attendance, according to the Vatican press service, which cited figures from Lebanese authorities.

"The pope puts joy and peace in our hearts and strengthens our hope," Khoury told AFP.

Some participants travelled from abroad including from neighbouring Syria, or from further afield like the United States, while migrant workers from countries such as the Philippines and Sri Lanka were also among the excited crowd.

"It's a sign of hope for Lebanon. I can feel the peace already just by seeing the people and how happy they are and I can see hope in their eyes for the future of Lebanon," said Elias Fadel, 22.

"Hopefully there won't be any war," he added.

Large swathes of the city centre were closed to traffic for the occasion and soldiers deployed on nearby roads.

Sandra Naim, 37, said " I hope that peace will reign in this beautiful country that unites all sects and religions."

"We thank the pope for his visit, which sows peace and hope," she said.

Before the service, the pope prayed at the site of a catastrophic port explosion on August 4, 2020 which killed more than 220 people, injured over 6,500 and devastated swathes of the capital.

At a monument to those killed, with shipping containers, piles of rubble and the facility's devastated grain silos visible nearby, the pope lit a lamp after praying silently.

He then shook hands, blessed and spoke with survivors and relatives of victims, including children, many of whom were holding photos of their loved ones.

- 'Justice' -

Cecile Roukoz, a lawyer whose brother died in the explosion, said "We are very grateful for this visit from the pope... We know that he raises his voice" for justice "and we need justice for our brothers and all the victims of this explosion".

Nobody has been held to account for the Beirut port blast, one of the largest ever non-nuclear explosions.

Pope Leo's first stop on Tuesday was at a psychiatric hospital run by nuns near the capital, where he was greeted by staff and patients to cheers, applause and a shower of rose petals.

An emotional Marie Makhlouf, mother superior of the congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross, thanked the pope for being "a father to the forgotten, the abandoned and the marginalised".

"We cannot forget those who are most fragile," Pope Leo said, paying tribute to the work of the facility.

On Monday, the pontiff urged Christian and Muslim religious leaders to combat intolerance, and received a rock-star welcome from some 15,000 young people, urging them to "be the source of hope that the country is waiting for".

G.AbuGhazaleh--SF-PST