Pope Leo urged leaders from Lebanon's many diverse religious sects on Monday to unite to heal the country after years of conflict, political paralysis and economic crisis that have prompted waves of migration abroad.

Leo undertook the tour "in a spirit of reflection and listening, with deep respect for the place and for the faith of those who gather there in prayer," the Vatican said.

The best way to describe him is as the anti-polarization pope. His biggest issues are peace and unity. He knows he’s operating in a context where very few world leaders are talking that way. It’s not a collaborative world. He’s looking at a polarized landscape and responding to it.

Leo XIV calls Christian and Muslim leaders to reject intolerance and build peace, adding that Lebanon stands as a reminder that fear and prejudice don't have the final word.

Pope Leo XIV met Lebanese youth in the square in front of the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch in Bkerké on the second day of his apostolic visit to Lebanon.

Thousands of jubilant young Lebanese people on Monday welcomed Pope Leo XIV at his final event of the day on his visit to Lebanon.

Pope Leo XIV plans to pray at an Armenian Apostolic cathedral in Istanbul in a gesture supporting Christian unity and Christian minorities in Turkey