In an atmosphere charged with faith and youthful enthusiasm, reminiscent of a miniature World Youth Day, Pope Leo XIV met this Sunday with hundreds of young Lebanese, Syrians, and Iraqis in the square in front of the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch in Bkerke, north of Beirut. Overlooking Jounieh Bay and greeted with “as-salamu alaikum,” the Holy Father delivered a vibrant message of hope, urging the new generation not to succumb to discouragement and to transform the pain of a world “disfigured by wars and injustices” into a dawn of peace.

The meeting, part of the Pope’s apostolic journey to Lebanon—his first official visit to the country since the beginning of his pontificate—became a space for open dialogue. After listening to moving testimonies from volunteers who have faced the horrors of war and disasters such as the 2020 Beirut port explosion, the Pontiff answered questions about hope, human relationships, and the role of youth in building a better future. Young people like Anthony, Maria, Élie, and Joelle shared stories of courage: Élie, who decided to stay in his country despite the crisis to “dream of Lebanon”; and Joelle, who opened her home to a Muslim refugee family amidst the conflict, embodying a bridge of interfaith solidarity.

“There is still time to dream, plan, and do good,” proclaimed Pope Leo XIV, quoting the Book of Ecclesiastes to emphasize that young people possess the “gift of time,” a treasure many adults have lost to cynicism. “You are the hope we older generations have lost,” he told them, comparing them to the Lebanese cedars, a national symbol whose strength lies in deep roots of selfless service, as widespread as their branches. In a world divided by conflicts in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon itself—a country plagued by economic and political tensions and the echoes of war in the region—the Pope called for reconciliation as the antidote: “True peace is not born of ideas or contracts, but of the risen Christ, the foundation of our trust.”

On human relationships, the papal message was a call to reject individualism and fleeting loves. “There is no true love if love has an expiration date. Love with an expiration date is mediocre love,” he warned, promoting friendships based on a “you” that prevails over “I,” forging a “we” open to society and all of humanity. Love, he described, is the “universal language of God,” narrated in the life of Jesus and exemplified by saints such as Saint Pio Giorgio Frassati, Carlo Acutis, and venerated Lebanese figures: Saint Rafqa, Blessed Yakub El-Haddad, and Saint Charbel. In a world distracted by noise, he exhorted us to seek God in daily silence and to carry in our hearts the prayer of Saint Francis for peace, to rekindle the “Christian enthusiasm” that changes history.

The event culminated in a symbolic ritual: the young people pledged to be “peacemakers and bearers of reconciliation,” while the Pope concluded with an optimistic vision: “Peace is a bright dawn in the dark night.” This meeting reinforces the Vatican’s commitment to the Middle East, where the Church seeks to unite Christians, Muslims, and diverse communities in an effort toward justice. Recalling the words of Saint John Paul II—“There is no peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness”—Leo XIV made it clear that the true strength of Lebanon and its youth lies in everyday acts of charity and forgiveness, not in partisan interests.

The Pope’s apostolic journey to Lebanon, which extends until next Wednesday, includes large Masses and interreligious dialogues, in a context of post-conflict recovery. For those present, the message was a balm: in the midst of suffering, there is still time to dream and act. As the Pontiff affirmed, “the enthusiasm reflects God’s loving closeness,” uniting everyone in faith and communion.