A monastery overlooking the Mediterranean will be one of the stops on Pope Leo XIV’s three-day visit to Lebanon, a country of complex sectarian politics and long-running conflict.

Pope Leo XIV is opening his first full day in Lebanon with a message of peace and religious coexistence in a region torn by conflict.

Pope Leo visited Istanbul's Blue Mosque on Saturday, but was not welcomed by the head of Turkey's state-run religious organization despite earlier plans.

Hezbollah terrorist organization urges Pope Leo XIV to reject Israeli "aggression" ahead of his Beirut visit, insisting it has respected the ceasefire despite its attempts to rearm.

The Lebanese army has intensified its efforts in areas along the border with Israel, in the volatile area that witnessed the 14-month war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. Parts of the zone south of the Litani River and north of the border with Israel were formerly a Hezbollah stronghold,

The US ambassador to Lebanon says Israel doesn’t need US permission to defend itself and that Washington is pressuring Beirut to implement its decision to disarm the Hezbollah terror group.