Pope says he is ‘closer than ever’ to Lebanese people

Pope Leo XIV expressed his closeness to the people of Lebanon on Sunday, saying there was a “moral obligation” to protect them while calling on warring parties to seek peace.

“I am closer than ever, in these days of sorrow, fear, and unconquerable hope in God, to the beloved Lebanese people,” the pope told the crowd at St Peter’s Square following his Regina Coeli prayer, citing “a moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the atrocious effects of war.”