At 3:30 p.m. local time, the plane carrying Pope Leo XIV landed at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport after departing from Istanbul.
With his arrival in Lebanon, the second stage of his first journey as pontiff begins. He was welcomed by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, and Lebanon’s Chief of Protocol.
Also present was Joseph Aoun, the Lebanese president, and two children dressed in traditional garments of the Land of the Cedars, who offered the pontiff flowers, bread, and water as a gesture of welcome.
Accompanied by the national anthems of Lebanon and the Vatican City, the Pope proceeded to the Baabda Presidential Palace, where he will meet with authorities and the Diplomatic Corps.
