Supreme Islamic Council of Shia welcomes Popes visit to Lebanon

Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib described Pope’s planned visit to Lebanon as a significant step at a critical time for both the country and the wider region, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).

Al-Khatib stressed that the importance of the visit stems from Lebanon’s confrontation with Israel’s large-scale aggression — involving killings, destruction, and ongoing warfare — despite the existence of an internationally recognized agreement that continues to be violated by Tel Aviv regime.

The senior cleric invited the Pope to tour southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs, or the Bekaa Valley, noting that residents in these areas endure heavy losses and daily suffering as a result of Israeli strikes.

He said that an on-the-ground view would provide the Pope with a clearer understanding of the situation and help convey the realities to the world.

He added that the Pope’s presence among communities resisting daily aggression would have a profound impact on their morale.

The Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council emphasized that the Pope’s visit under such circumstances carries a powerful message of solidarity, peace, and support for the Lebanese people. He noted that it could play a positive role in amplifying the suffering of Lebanon’s citizens on the global stage.

Pope Leo began the first leg of his six-day visit to two Muslim-majority countries Turkey and Lebanon on Thursday.
On Sunday, Leo will head to Lebanon, which has been suffering economic and political crisis since 2019 and has been the target of repeated bombings by Israel in near-daily violations of a ceasefire with Hezbollah that was agreed one year ago to end the war.

Israel has killed more than 330 Lebanese in the year since the truce was brokered.

Supreme Islamic Council of Shia welcomes Pope's visit to Lebanon