At the interreligious gathering at Martyrs’ Square in Beirut, Pope Leo XIV expressed his deep emotion and gratitude: "With profound emotion and great gratitude, I stand today with you on this blessed land, a land magnified by the prophets of the Old Testament, who saw in its majestic cedars the symbol of a pure soul flourishing under the watchful gaze of heaven. A land where the word of the Logos has never ceased to resound, generation after generation, inviting everyone to open their hearts to the living God."

He added: "At a time when living together seems a distant dream, the Lebanese people, in their religious diversity, strongly remind us that fear, mistrust, and prejudice do not have the final word. Unity, community, reconciliation, and peace are possible. It is a timeless message: Christians, Muslims, Druze, and many others can live together and build a country united by respect and dialogue."

The Pope emphasized: "Just as the roots of the cedar and the olive sink deeply and spread in the earth, the Lebanese people, scattered across the world, remain united by the strength of their homeland and heritage. Your presence here and across the world enriches the planet with your millennia-old heritage and serves as a call to be builders of peace: to confront intolerance, reject violence and exclusion, and illuminate the path toward justice and harmony for all, bearing witness to your faith."