Lebanese Culture Minister says political message behind Pope's visit is to encourage Lebanese not to lose hope

Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh said the visit of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon had been planned since the time of Pope Francis, noting that the current pontiff was carrying out his predecessor's intention.

In an interview with LBCI, Salameh described Pope Leo as a figure close to the poor and emphasized that he is "not on the same wavelength" as U.S. President Donald Trump and is not visiting as an envoy of the American administration.

Salameh said the political message behind the pope's visit is to encourage the Lebanese not to lose hope amid ongoing challenges, calling the trip an effort to uplift the country and support its resilience.

He added that diplomatic envoys who visited Beirut ahead of the trip delivered a warning about the risk of intensified Israeli military operations, though without indications of a slide into a full-scale war.

Commenting on broader international discourse, Salameh said he does not see "any glorification or emphasis" on conflating Abrahamic religious heritage with the Abraham Accords in global politics.