Each evening, Mireille Khoury lights a candle beside a photo of her son Elias, who was just 15 when he was killed in the 2020 Beirut port explosion. Like many bereaved families, she has spent years demanding justice for the 218 victims — a campaign that has steadily lost momentum as the stalled investigation drags on and accountability remains elusive.
But the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV has revived a sense of hope for Khoury and others in a country battered by economic collapse, political paralysis, and regional instability. Khoury plans to join the pontiff in silent prayer at the port blast site during the last day of his trip.
“We need a lot of prayers, and we need a miracle for this country to continue,” she said.
Pope Leo XIV arrives Sunday for his first official foreign trip, honouring a promise made by his predecessor, Pope Francis, to visit Lebanon — a Muslim-majority nation where roughly one-third of the population is Christian. The pontiff will also travel to Turkey.
This marks the fourth papal visit to Lebanon and comes at a moment when deepening crises and regional tensions have pushed the country into one of its most fragile periods in decades. For many Lebanese, the pope’s presence is a rare symbol of international solidarity and a reminder that their plight has not been forgotten.
