JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Pope Leo XIV concluded the first foreign trip of his papacy today with a Mass at the Beirut waterfront. Lebanese officials said about 150,000 people were in attendance. In recent years, Lebanon has seen war, economic collapse and political paralysis. Pope Leo acknowledged this suffering.
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POPE LEO XIV: (Speaking French).
SUMMERS: In French, he said, "you are witnesses and victims of how evil, in its various forms, can obscure the (ph) splendor" of the country's beauty. Before the Mass, he prayed at the site where a warehouse exploded five years ago, killing hundreds of people. NPR's Ruth Sherlock has been traveling with the pope and joins us now. Hi there.
RUTH SHERLOCK, BYLINE: Hi.
SUMMERS: So, Ruth, I want to start with this Mass that was held today. It sounds like quite a special moment for Lebanese people.
SHERLOCK: Yeah. I mean, absolutely. It was such a scene, you know, people waving Lebanese and Vatican flags, and there were prayers and hymns.
UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Singing in non-English language).
SHERLOCK: But this was also about much more than Christian worship. That silent prayer that Leo made at the port explosion that you mentioned, and his meeting with the parents of victims that included children who died, that was broadcast on these giant screens at the Mass, and it felt really poignant. Standing there, I was surrounded by Lebanese people who were watching it and crying in tears for what they've been through. That blast was said to have been caused by negligence that even implicated, you know, some of the most senior politicians at the time. But to this day, no senior Lebanese official has been held accountable. So for people like Rita Fermanian, having the pope go there made her feel seen.
RITA FERMANIAN: We feel very lucky to have him here in Lebanon. And seeing him pray and talk with the parents of the victims is very overwhelming. It's very emotional.
SHERLOCK: So, of course, you know, Lebanese have also been caught now in this war between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah last year, and some Israeli airstrikes continue still. And there was this feeling of hope that - just maybe - maybe the pope can intervene and find a way for peace to kind of pull people out of this dark period that they are living in.
SUMMERS: You flew back, Ruth, with the pope to Rome afterwards, where he spoke more about the conflict in Lebanon as well as other wars. What did he have to say?
SHERLOCK: Well, he was asked if he would use his connections to President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop these Israeli airstrikes that continue on Lebanon despite a ceasefire agreement. Israel says that Hezbollah is trying to rearm itself. Pope Leo confirmed he is in direct contact, but he wouldn't be drawn on the details, saying the Vatican's work is best and primarily done behind the scenes. And then he also spoke about these other conflicts. He offered for the Holy See to be a mediator in the war in Ukraine. And he spoke about the situation in Venezuela, urging for economic pressure and dialogue rather than military force.
SUMMERS: Now, this trip was also a chance for the world to get to know the new pope a little better. In your travels, did you get a better sense of who he is?
SHERLOCK: Yeah. Look, I mean, he's still quite careful with what he says to the press, but this trip back on the plane was the most relaxed I've seen him. He opened up. He talked about the moment in the conclave in May when he realized he was going to become pope, saying, I took a deep breath. I said, here we go, Lord. You are in charge. You lead the way. And he also told journalists he finds it entertaining to see how they describe him in the media.
LEO XIV: My face is very expressive, but I'm oftentimes amused by how the journalists interpret my face.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Laughter).
LEO XIV: Serious. I mean, it's interesting. Sometimes I get, you know, like, really great ideas from all of you because you think you can read my mind or my face, and it's not - you're not always correct.
SHERLOCK: And, you know, what's clear here is also his enthusiasm for the work. The schedule of this trip was jam-packed, and longtime Vatican reporters joked at times that they even miss traveling with the previous pope, Pope Francis, who, being older, kept things at a slower pace.
SUMMERS: NPR's Ruth Sherlock in Rome, thank you so much.
SHERLOCK: Thank you.
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