In a historic and reverent moment, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV departed the noise of the capital and ascended to the heights of Annaya for a spiritual pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Charbel Makhlouf—a symbol of hope and spiritual resilience that unites the hearts of Lebanese people across all sects. This visit was not merely an act of homage but a profound consecration of the entire nation to the intercession of the saint and a deep immersion into the spiritual roots that alone can sustain Lebanon through its trials.

Before crowds of faithful, the Supreme Pontiff summarized Saint Charbel’s legacy in four pillars, describing them as “counter-cultural virtues” essential like fresh water in the desert:

> “The Holy Spirit shaped him to teach prayer to those who live without God, silence to those who live in noise, humility to those who live for appearances, and poverty to those who seek riches.”

He described Saint Charbel’s ongoing intercession as a “river of mercy” that draws thousands, entrusting the world’s needs to his prayers. The Pope prayed for the Church—asking for communion and unity—and for the world—asking for peace—with a special prayer for Lebanon and the entire Middle East.

Father Hadi Mahfouz, Superior General of the Lebanese Maronite Order, called the Pope’s presence in this historic visit—which comes exactly one hundred years after the submission of Saint Charbel’s beatification and canonization cause to the Holy See—“a new grace” added to “the grace of Saint Charbel.” He welcomed the Pope to the “refuge of silence and light,” thanking him for honoring the monastery and for his recent guidance urging an expansion of prayer and life toward “the eternal Sunday.”

At its core, the visit to Annaya is a plea for Lebanon’s healing—a healing that must be moral and institutional before economic. The Pope affirmed that Lebanese Christianity is a living force, deeply rooted and essential to regional balance. Today, Annaya stands as a beacon of faith and resilience, proving that faith is the energy behind Lebanon’s endurance and that the only path to national salvation is a return to spiritual integrity, unity, and shared purpose.