Pope Visits Lebanon as Middle East Christian Population Dwindles
Christian church in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, photo by Antonio Graceffo Pope Leo XIV arrived in Lebanon on his first international trip, visiting what was once one of the strongest Christian centers in the Middle East. His visit comes as Christians across the region continue to flee war, persecution, and economic collapse. Once-major Christian communities in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and Bethlehem have sharply declined. In