BEIRUT — Pope Leo XIV’s visit to the Middle East marked a significant moment for the region’s Christian community, drawing people from across the area who wished to witness this historic occasion.

 

Among them was Rifat Bader, Director of the Catholic Centre for Studies and Media in Jordan, who accompanied the Jordanian Embassy during the Lebanese leg of the trip. Bader described the pilgrimage as a profound appeal for peace in a region long afflicted by instability in an exclusive interview with Jordan Times.

 

He emphasised that the Pope arrived not as a political leader with a policy agenda, but as a “peacemaker” seeking to inspire partners for reconciliation. “This is the thirst of all the region, that we want peace,” he told Jordan Times.

 

Pope Leo’s Middle East journey took place between 27 November and 2 December 2025, with stops in Turkey and Lebanon. The trip fulfilled a long-held “dual dream” of his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, who had been prevented from undertaking such visits due to health reasons and who passed away last April.

 

The visit to Turkey was centred on Christian unity, commemorating the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which brought Christians together in a shared creed. By contrast, the mission in Lebanon focused on the global call for peace, framed by the official slogan: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

 

A key and deeply personal objective of the Pope’s time in Lebanon was to address the ongoing emigration of Christian families, an exodus that threatens the country’s delicate multi-confessional fabric. “Pope Leo came to Lebanon to encourage the Christian presence… in order not to leave Lebanon without Christians,” Bader explained.

 

This support for the local community was closely linked to the Vatican’s broader vision of interreligious cooperation, which it views as the only sustainable path for the Middle East. The visit therefore served as a powerful platform for advancing interfaith dialogue, reinforcing the belief that a stable future depends on societies built on mutual respect. The Pope’s scheduled meetings with leaders of other religions were, according to Bader, a deliberate “act of dialogue, solidarity, and harmony.”

 

Religious diplomacy in the region is also of great importance to Jordan. Just three months earlier, Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania had invited Pope Leo XIV to visit the Magdas, the baptism site of Jesus.

 

Bader noted that discussions are underway regarding a future papal visit that would include Jordan and Palestine, though such plans depend on regional stability, particularly the situation in Gaza.

 

Looking ahead, Bader expressed anticipation for preparations to celebrate the two-millennia anniversary of the baptism of Jesus in 2030. In this context, Pope Leo XIV announced his intention to undertake a “spiritual pilgrimage to Jerusalem” in 2033 to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

Despite the profound challenges still facing the Middle East, Pope Leo XIV’s message in Lebanon carried a strong current of hope, offering a vision of a more peaceful and unified future.