Thousands of citizens and believers of all ages flocked from the early morning hours to the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya to welcome the head of the Catholic Church, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, during his visit to the tomb of Saint Charbel, steadfast in their faith and unfazed by the bad weather and rainfall.

Among the attendees were visitors from Arab and foreign countries who had received the grace of healing from their illnesses through the intercession of Saint Charbel, all under tight security measures implemented by the Lebanese army.
Hundreds of citizens also gathered at the entrance of the Jbeil–Annaya highway, in front of St. George's Church, to welcome His Holiness, waving Lebanese and Vatican flags. The Annaya–Jbeil highway was closed from 5:00 a.m. to allow cars from Jbeil to reach Annaya, while the Jbeil–Annaya highway was closed at 9:00 a.m.

The first to arrive at the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya were the President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, and his wife, Mrs. Nehmat Aoun, who were greeted with warm applause and ululations by citizens in the monastery courtyard, on the platform reserved for them, and at the entrance of the monastery. They were received by the Superior General of the Lebanese Maronite Order, Abbot Hady Mahfouz, and the monastery’s superior, Father Milad Tarabay.

Soon after, the delegation accompanying His Holiness arrived, including the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Raï, former President Michel Sleiman and his wife, Minister of Telecommunications Charles Haj, former Minister Walid Nassar, MP Simon Abi Ramia, MP Ziad Hawat, former MP Walid Khoury, the District Governor of Jbeil Nathalie Merhi Khoury, the President of the Jbeil Municipalities Union Fadi Martinos, the Mayor of Annaya–Kfar baal Marc Abboud, and several other mayors and local dignitaries. They all proceeded to the tomb of Saint Charbel.

Around ten o’clock, the motorcade of His Holiness the Pope arrived at the entrance of Annaya. The Pope stepped out of his car and boarded the Popemobile, blessing the believers lined along a three-kilometer route from the army checkpoint at the town entrance to the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya. Upon reaching the monastery entrance, he was welcomed by the Superior General of the Lebanese Maronite Order, Abbot Hady Mahfouz, and the monastery’s superior, Father Milad Tarabay. They proceeded to the church where His Holiness donned the pontifical vestments before heading to the tomb of Saint Charbel. There, he knelt on a special prie-dieu for a private prayer and lit a candle for Lebanon and for Christians around the world, a candle he brought from Rome as a gift to the Monastery of Saint Maron in Annaya. 
His Holiness then recited the following prayer: “Lord, You who granted Saint Charbel, guardian of silence in his hidden life, to be enlightened by the light of truth to delve into the depths of Your love, grant us, who follow his example, to undertake in the desert of the world the noble struggle of faith, and to walk joyfully in the footsteps of Your Son, Christ. May Your servant, who lived in the secret of prayer and overcame trials through penance, reveal to us the greatness of Your mercy, and teach us the silence of words and the power of deeds that can touch the heart. Through Jesus Christ, victorious over sin and death, grant us healing of soul and body, and may he always intercede for us so that we may share in the company of the saints in the eternal Kingdom. To You be glory and praise, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen”

Mahfouz
Abbot Mahfouz gave a speech in which he welcomed His Holiness the Pope, asking him to "accept the prayers of the Maronite Order and its unwavering gratitude toward the Vatican." He said: "Grace after grace, we continue to receive from the fullness of our Lord Jesus Christ, as Saint John declares in the introduction to his Gospel. Grace after grace, the first of which is the grace of Saint Charbel, the saint of Lebanon, whose intercession continues to enlighten souls and bestow upon the world the wonders of heaven.

And here is yet another grace: your presence, Most Holy Father, in this sanctuary of silence and light, where you have come to pray before the tomb of this humble hermit, enflamed with love, the hermit who knew how to “seek God, listen to Him, praise Him, and invoke Him, day and night, in the secrecy of the heart,” according to your own words, Most Holy Father, addressed to the hermits of Italy on the 11th of October last.
During the Jubilee of Consecrated Life, celebrated at the Vatican on the 9th of October, and on the very feast of the canonization of Saint Charbel, you exhorted us, Most Holy Father, to widen the “asking,” the “seeking,” and the “knocking” of prayer and of life toward the eternal horizon that transcends the realities of this world, and to orient them toward the “unsetting Sunday.” On this blessed day, the grace of your presence makes that horizon almost tangible: it lifts our gaze toward Heaven and transforms our daily life into a foretaste of eternity.

Another grace, for history itself speaks to us today. In 1925, exactly one century ago, the Superior General of our Order, Abbot Ignace Dagher, presented to the successor of Peter, Pope Pius XI, at the Vatican, the cause for the beatification and canonization of Saint Charbel. And now, in 2025, one hundred years later, Your Holiness, comes to bless with your presence this same monastery, thus sanctifying its memory and renewing its grace. Your visit will forever mark, along this same path, the history of this monastery and of our Order. 

Another grace, for history itself speaks to us today. In 1925, exactly one century ago, the Superior General of our Order, Abbot Ignace Dagher, presented to the successor of Peter, Pope Pius XI, at the Vatican, the cause for the beatification and canonization of Saint Charbel. And now, in 2025, one hundred years later, Your Holiness, successor of Peter, comes to bless with your presence this same monastery, thus sanctifying its memory and renewing its grace. Your visit will forever mark, along this same path, the history of this monastery and of our Order. 

And because grace, as Saint Augustine tells us, is “given freely,” “granted as a gift and not as a reward,” I express to you, Most Holy Father, on behalf of the Maronite Lebanese Order, our deepest and inexhaustible thanks, our immeasurable gratitude, and our unwavering filial devotion.

As I rejoice at the presence among us of His Excellency General Joseph Aoun, President of the Republic, and of the First Lady, I bid Your Holiness welcome to Annaya, humbly asking you to receive, on behalf of the entire Order, the assurance of our unconditional obedience, our constant prayers, and our most devoted filial sentiments.

In Christ. Thank you.”

Pope Leo
His Holiness the Pope delivered his speech, asking God for peace in Lebanon and the Middle East. He said, "I thank the Superior General for his words and for welcoming us to this beautiful Monastery in Annaya. The nature that surrounds this house, the house of prayer, attracts us with its beauty that calls for asceticism.

I thank God for enabling me to come as a pilgrim to the tomb of Saint Charbel. My ancestors, and I think in particular of His Holiness Pope Paul VI, who declared Charbel blessed and a saint, also wished to make such a pilgrimage.

Dear ones, what does Saint Charbel teach us today? What is the legacy of this man who wrote nothing, lived hidden and silent, but whose reputation spread throughout the world?
I summarize his legacy and say the following: The Holy Spirit shaped and created him, to teach prayer to those whose lives were without God, to teach silence to those who live in noise, to teach humility to those who seek to stand out, and to teach poverty to those who seek wealth. All of these are situations that go against the tide, and that is why they are attracted to him, just as a traveler in the desert is attracted to pure fresh water.

Saint Charbel reminds us, especially, bishops and ordained servants, of the requirements of our evangelical vocation. Meanwhile, the correspondence between his faith and his life, which is both radical and humble, serves as a message to all Christians.

There is also another crucial aspect: Saint Charbel never ceases to intercede for us before the Heavenly Father, the source of all goodness and every grace. During his life on earth, many people came to him seeking God’s consolation, forgiveness, and guidance. After his death, this intercession only multiplied, becoming a river of mercy. That is why thousands of pilgrims come from different countries on the 22nd of each month, spending a day in prayer to renew both soul and body.

Brothers and sisters, today we entrust to the intercession of Saint Charbel all that the Church, Lebanon, and the world need. For the Church, we ask for communion and unity, beginning with families and small house churches, then the faithful in parishes and dioceses, and finally the universal Church, we demand Communion and unity. For the world, we ask for peace, especially for Lebanon and the entire East. We know well, and the saints remind us, that there can be no true peace without repentance of the heart. May Saint Charbel help us turn to God and seek the grace of repentance for all of us.

Dear friends, as a symbol of the light that God has shone here through Saint Charbel, I have brought a gift: a lantern. I offer this lamp and entrust Lebanon and its people to the protection of Saint Charbel, that they may always walk in the light of Christ. Thank God for giving us Saint Charbel, and thanks to all of you who preserve his memory. Walk in the light of God.”

Exchange of Gifts
Abbot Mahfouz, on behalf of the Lebanese Maronite Order, presented to His Holiness the first edition of the Psalms printed in the East at the Monastery of Saint Anthony Qozhaya in 1610. The Abbot also offered two gifts to His Holiness: a candle specially made for the occasion, and a lamp of Saint Charbel containing relics of the saint.
In turn, His Holiness presented a gift to Abbot Mahfouz.

Final Blessing
After the final blessing, His Holiness greeted President Aoun and his wife, then toured the monastery museum with Abbot Mahfouz and Father Tarabay. He then moved to the inner courtyard, where he blessed the monastery staff and posed for a commemorative photo with several monks.

The Pope also greeted the former heads of the Lebanese Maronite Order, the Mayor of Annaya- Kfar Baal Mark Abboud, and Elias Geagea owner of the Solid Group Association, who oversaw all logistical arrangements for the visit, as well as several others who contributed to the success of this visit.

His Holiness and the delegation departed from Annaya amid the ringing of bells, ululations, and the scattering of flowers and rice.