Pope Leo offers Lebanon a way to hope \u2018even when surrounded by the sound of weapons\u2019 Pope Leo XIV told Lebanon\u2019s bishops, clergy, and pastoral workers on Monday that Christians can remain steadfast in hope \u201ceven when surrounded by the sound of weapons,\u201d urging them to look to the Virgin Mary as a model of faith in dark and uncertain times. Meeting them at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa on the second day of his apostolic visit, the pope said that Mary teaches believers how to persevere when daily life becomes a struggle. \u201cIt is in being with Mary at the foot of Jesus\u2019 Cross that our prayer, that invisible bridge which unites hearts, gives us the strength to continue to hope and work,\u201d he said. Leo recalled St. John Paul II\u2019s words to the Lebanese \u2014 \u201cIn the Lebanon of today, you are the ones responsible for hope\u201d \u2014 and urged believers to nurture a climate of fraternity wherever they live and work. He stressed the need to trust one another so that \u201cthe regenerative power of forgiveness and mercy may triumph,\u201d adding that the fruits of this message are visible in Lebanon\u2019s resilience. The pope compared faith to an anchor that holds firm in turbulence. \u201cOur faith is an anchor in heaven,\u201d he said. \u201cHold fast to the rope.\u201d He reminded those present that peace requires loving without fear and giving without measure. Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, Leo said Christians are called to celebrate \u201cthe victory of love over hate\u2026 forgiveness over revenge,\u201d a message he said continues to guide the Church\u2019s mission. During the gathering, Pope Leo was welcomed by clergy and the shrine\u2019s rector before processing to the presbytery, where Armenian Catholic Patriarch Rapha\u00ebl Bedros XXI Minassian greeted him. The celebration included prayers, testimonies, Arabic chants, the Gospel reading (John 19:25\u201327), the Magnificat, the Our Father, a blessing, Marian hymns, and the exchange of gifts. Pope Leo also presented a Golden Rose to the Virgin Mary, a traditional papal gift to major Marian shrines. The ornament, a gold branch of roses set in a silver vase and mounted on white marble, bears the papal coat of arms and symbolizes the pope\u2019s devotion to the Mother of God. Leo said the rose\u2019s fragrance calls Christians to be \u201cthe fragrance of Christ,\u201d drawing a parallel to the richness and diversity of Lebanese family tables and encouraging the faithful to live that spirit of shared love each day. The pope also highlighted testimonies shared during the meeting. Father Youhanna spoke of Debbabiy\u00e9, where Christians, Muslims, and refugees live together in mutual trust. Loren, a migrant worker, appealed to all communities to welcome those forced from their homes, telling them, \u201cWelcome home!\u201d Sister Dima described keeping a school open during violence, teaching children to share \u201cbread, fear, and hope.\u201d The pope noted that the shrine itself remains \u201ca symbol of unity for the entire Lebanese people.\u201d Rising about 2,130 feet above sea level and roughly 16 miles north of Beirut, the sanctuary offers sweeping views of Jounieh Bay and stands not far from Bkerke, the seat of the Maronite Patriarch. Its white-painted bronze statue of Our Lady of Lebanon, 28 feet tall and weighing about 33,000 pounds, was cast in France and placed atop a 66-foot stone pedestal shaped like a tree trunk. The adjacent basilica, designed to evoke both a cedar tree and a Phoenician ship, seats around 3,500 people and opens toward the Marian statue through its glass fa\u00e7ade. The site is entrusted to the Lebanese Maronite Missionaries. Later at the Apostolic Nunciature, Pope Leo was scheduled to welcome the Council of Eastern Catholic Patriarchs together with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, and Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. He was then set to share lunch with them and with the country\u2019s Orthodox patriarchs, joined by Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, in a gesture underscoring the ecumenical dimension of his visit. This article was originally published on CNA. Follow all EWTN News coverage of Pope Leo\u2019s First Apostolic Trip here. 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. 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