Pope Leo urges Lebanon to place the sick at the center of society Pope Leo XIV told hospital patients and caregivers in Lebanon that he had come to \u201cwhere Jesus dwells,\u201d adding that Christ is present \u201cin you who are ill, and in you who care for the ailing.\u201d He delivered the message during a Tuesday morning visit to De La Croix Hospital in Jal el Dib, one of the final stops of his trip to Lebanon as the country continues to struggle with the wounds of conflict and economic collapse. The Holy Father addressed staff, patients, and the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross who operate the institution. Pointing to the hospital\u2019s founder, Blessed Yaaqub El-Haddad, Pope Leo described him as a \u201ctireless apostle of charity\u201d whose devotion to the suffering shaped the institution\u2019s identity. \u201cYour presence is a tangible sign of the merciful love of Christ,\u201d Leo told the healthcare workers, comparing their service to the Good Samaritan who stopped for the wounded man. He urged them not to lose heart when fatigue or discouragement take hold. \u201cKeep before your eyes the good you are able to accomplish. In God\u2019s eyes, it is a great work.\u201d Pope Leo also offered a pointed appeal to Lebanese society. A community focused only on achievement and wellbeing, he warned, risks abandoning its most vulnerable members. \u201cWe cannot conceive of a society that races ahead at full speed while ignoring so many situations of poverty and vulnerability.\u201d Christians, he insisted, are called to make the poor a priority because \u201cthe cry of the poor,\u201d heard throughout Scripture, continues to demand a response. Jal el Dib, a town in Lebanon\u2019s Matn district with a largely Maronite Catholic population, grew from a small Ottoman-era stop on the Beirut\u2013Tripoli route into a commercial hub during the French Mandate, the period of French-administered rule that shaped much of modern Lebanon after World War I. In that setting, the De La Croix institution, founded in 1919 by Blessed Yaaqub, developed into one of the region\u2019s most significant centers for psychiatric care and mental disability services. Operated by the Franciscan Sisters of the Cross, it now includes five patient pavilions and serves more than 2,200 people each year. Turning to the patients, the pope emphasized their dignity and their place in the heart of God. \u201cYou are close to the heart of God our Father. He holds you in the palm of his hand,\u201d he said. \u201cToday, the Lord repeats to each one of you: ‘I love you, I care for you, you are my child. Never forget this!’\u201d At times during the visit, Leo seemed to be holding back tears. After the public event, Pope Leo was scheduled to visit one of the hospital\u2019s pavilions privately to meet patients and staff. Follow all EWTN News coverage of Pope Leo\u2019s First Apostolic Trip here. This article was originally published by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Elias Turk Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article \u201cGod\u2019s Singing Kids\u201d Meet the Pope Sacred Heart shows path forward in AI Era, Pope Francis says in new encyclical \u2018Dilexit Nos\u2019 South American Cardinals entering the Conclave 2025: Who are they? Pick Out from Among You Seven Men of Good Repute: NAC Diaconate Ordination The Other Charles In Rome: \u2018Bonnie Prince Charlie\u2019 Is Buried In St. Peter\u2019s Basilica World-class cyclists to circle Vatican City, meet Pope Leo XIV<\/p>\n