Lebanese Youth Await His Holiness Pope Leo XIV with Hope and Joy

Youth Meeting in Bkerke: A Celebration of Faith and Witness

Media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

December 1, 2025, is a day of joy for every young man and woman. It is a day when youth renew their hope and strengthen their determination to continue working for peace. It is the day they will meet with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, who comes to Lebanon carrying Jesus Christ in his heart and bringing the Lord's peace to a nation yearning for tranquility and stability.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV's meeting with the youth of Lebanon is the first of its kind outside the Vatican. It will be a spiritual and national event through which the Holy Father places his great trust in the younger generation, sowing much joy and hope in their hearts. December 1 is an event that crowns the role of youth, the future of Lebanon and its mission.

In this context, the media of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) continues to highlight the meeting of His Holiness the Pope with the youth, as it had prepared a report about the slogan of the meeting, and hosted, through its pages in the “Platform of the Word”, guests who spoke in various segments about this anticipated event.

Bkerke

Under the motto of the Holy Father's visit, "Blessed are the Peacemakers," the Maronite Patriarchal Edifice in Bkerke is hosting a youth gathering, consolidating the Papal and youth events that have taken place at this historic Ecclesiastical site throughout history.

In fact, the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon chose Bkerke as the venue for Pope Leo XIV's meeting with the youth of Lebanon and the Middle East. This reaffirms that Bkerke, throughout its 1400-year history, has opened its arms to embrace young Christians, both Catholic and non-Catholic, as well as young Muslims. They will make this gathering a national occasion, uniting all the youth of Lebanon, just as Bkerke has always united all the sons and daughters of the nation.

Program

Amidst all the challenges that the youth of Lebanon are facing today, their meeting with the Holy Father will strengthen their enthusiasm and faith, and renew their hope for a better and more inclusive future. The language of the gathering is a yearning for peace, encompassing all the difficulties and successive crises that young people experience.

Therefore, youth will have a unique spiritual experience at this event, filled with transformation, renewal, and a living, unfailing hope. They will celebrate their faith and bear witness to their hope that "Christ Lives."

The gathering begins at 4:00 pm and consists of two parts. The first part is a special preparatory program for the Pope's arrival, featuring hymns and songs performed by various youth choirs and musical groups. This will be followed by documentaries and quotes from the Pope's speeches, as well as listening to a hymn specially composed for this event, accompanied by an expressive dance. This part will also include youthful shouts and preparations for the Pope's entrance.

In the second part of the meeting, the Holy Father will enter through the main gate of the Patriarchal Edifice at 6:00 pm. He will then have a tour through the Papamobile, greeted by photographs and flags, accompanied by an hymn specially composed and a selection of youth hymns performed by the choir and orchestra, conducted by Marc Merhej.

Then, the Pope will proceed to the official platform, where he will be welcomed by seven young men and women representing the Catholic Churches. He will then take his seat and bless the seven offerings, each symbolizing the events that Lebanon has experienced in recent years.

Following this, His Holiness will begin the opening Prayer. His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, will deliver a welcoming speech on behalf of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon. Then, a reading from the Gospel of John (John 14:23-29) will be read.

Following a scene presentation depicting the tragedy of the Lebanese people, the Holy Father will deliver his speech, after which the Rite of the Promise of Peace will be recited by the young people, and gifts will be presented to His Holiness accompanied by hymns. The gathering will conclude with a Prayer of Thanksgiving, a final blessing, and special hymns.

With this program, the meeting will carry a spiritual message and a call to hope and faith. It will affirm that the gathering is a celebration of shared faith and a beacon of hope for Lebanese youth amidst all the difficult circumstances.