Pope Leo XIV made a historic pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf in Annaya, Lebanon, becoming the first pope to pray at the resting place of the beloved Maronite hermit whose intercession is linked with countless reported healings. Despite heavy rain and strong winds, crowds filled the mountain roads leading to the Monastery of St. Maron, carrying Lebanese and Vatican flags and holding images of the hooded monk.
According to Vatican News, the Pope entered the small stone grotto housing the saint’s tomb and knelt in prayer while a choir sang. In his reflection, Pope Leo described St. Charbel as a spiritual master shaped entirely by grace. “The Holy Spirit formed him so that he could teach those who live without God how to pray, those who live immersed in noise how to be silent, those who live ostentatiously how to be modest, and those who seek riches how to be poor,” he said, according to the report.
The Pope invited the faithful to entrust their petitions to the saint’s intercession, especially the longing for peace across the Middle East. “Sisters and brothers, today we entrust to Saint Charbel’s intercession the needs of the Church, Lebanon and the world,” he said. “For the world, we ask for peace. We especially implore it for Lebanon and for the entire Levant. But we know well – and the saints remind us – that there is no peace without conversion of hearts.”
As the rain intensified outside, small prayer cards featuring St. Charbel and Pope Leo’s concluding prayer were distributed to those gathered inside the grotto, Vatican News reported. One man was seen kissing the image of the saint and pressing it to his heart.
Outside, families, young people, and religious communities stood along the winding roads, hoping for a glimpse of the Holy Father. Majd Samia, one of the pilgrims present, said he came because St. Charbel “represents Lebanon.” Samia also noted what he called a meaningful connection: Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8, the day St. Charbel was born. “There is this link and St. Charbel is a huge sign of hope, faith and peace for Lebanon,” Samia said, according to Vatican News. He added that the Pope’s visit shows that “the Church is with us, she prays for us and she knows the pain of the Lebanese people.”
Elias Maroun arrived before dawn with his two children—one named Charbel—carrying both Lebanese and American flags. He told Vatican News that neither rain nor storm would keep them away: “What we care about is the ability to welcome and be happy with the Pope.” For Christians in the region, he said, the visit is a source of strength. “We need a push for Christians in the Middle East because we are the minority here,” Maroun explained, expressing hope that the Pope’s presence would support “the people, the schools, the hospitals and all that we need to be able to stay in the Middle East, especially in Lebanon and here on Mount Lebanon.”
Maroun also underlined the significance of the Pope coming to the mountains, an area often overlooked. He emphasized that St. Charbel is a unifying figure for Lebanon’s diverse religious landscape. “St. Charbel is important for all the Lebanese not just for the Christians and Catholics, everyone comes here and asks for help,” he said, according to Vatican News.
Pope Leo’s pilgrimage underscored both the spiritual legacy of one of Lebanon’s most revered saints and the Church’s closeness to a region marked by hardship, uncertainty, and deep faith.
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