Sawt Falasteen - Pope Leo holds Beirut mass and visits site of port blast

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 beleaguered country has dwindled.

His visit brought a welcome distraction to a land still reeling from a war with Israel last year, with many fearing a renewal of hostilities.

Yasmine Chidiac, who was hoping to catch sight of Pope Leo on Monday, said the trip "has brought a smile back to our faces".

More than 120,000 people have registered to attend the mass near Beirut's waterfront.

From Monday evening, authorities will prohibit access to large parts of central Beirut where the mass is taking place, and will set up checkpoints.

Before heading to the port, site of the massive explosion that devastated the capital and killed more than 220 people, the pope will visit a psychiatric hospital run by nuns in the capital.

Pope Leo will then hold a silent prayer at the site of the blast.

He will pay his respects to relatives of victims and survivors who are still fighting for justice.

The August 4, 2020 disaster was one of the world's largest non-nuclear explosions, and devastated swathes of the Lebanese capital.

Authorities have said the blast was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertiliser had been stored haphazardly for years after arriving by ship, despite repeated warnings to senior officials.

The investigation has yet to wield results, as political figures have obstructed the work of the independent judge in charge of it.

On Monday, the pontiff called on Christian and Muslim religious leaders gathered for an interreligious meeting to combat intolerance and violence.

He also got a rock star welcome from thousands of Lebanese youth in Bkerke, the seat of the Maronite church, calling on them to build "a new future".

"You have the enthusiasm to change the course of history," he told around 15,000 young Lebanese.

A.Suleiman--SF-PST