Pope Francis applauds Lebanese Blessed Doueihy, calls for justice on Beirut Blast and ending the war

Pope Francis applauded the new Lebanese Blessed Patriarch Estephan Douaihy, urging the crowds in St. Peter's Square to join in applause for him. He praised Douaihy for "living a life of love and sacrifice with his people despite the persecutions he and his church faced."

The Pope also called for justice on the fourth commemoration of the Beirut port explosion, which claimed the lives of many innocent and defenseless people. He urged efforts to help Lebanon emerge from its crises and called for "peace in the Middle East and an end to the war that threatens the countries and peoples of the region in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria."