Viaggio Apostolico in Türkiye e in Libano: Conferenza Stampa durante il volo diretto a Roma (Volo papale, 2 dicembre 2025)

Matteo Bruni

Buongiorno Santità, buongiorno a tutti!

Grazie di averci raggiunto qua dietro per un incontro con Lei. Grazie per questi giorni che abbiamo potuto trascorrere seguendo il viaggio nei due Paesi che ha visitato. Per questo ultimo Paese, il Libano, ci sono un po’ di domande da parte dei giornalisti, però prima volevo dire una parola. C’è una giornalista che ha lavorato per molti anni seguendo la Santa Sede, il Vaticano, il Papa, e che da dicembre va in pensione: Cindy Wooden, che lavora con la CNS. Il rapporto è stato prezioso e amichevole per tutti questi anni.

Invece, per quanto riguarda le domande, la prima è da parte di un giornalista libanese, se non vuole dire una parola Lei prima…

Papa Leone XIV

Solo una parola. Buongiorno a tutti! Innanzitutto voglio dire grazie a tutti voi, che avete lavorato tanto, e vorrei che trasmetteste questo messaggio anche agli altri giornalisti sia in Türkiye che in Libano, ai tanti che hanno lavorato per comunicare gli importanti messaggi di questo viaggio. Allora, grazie a voi, anche voi tutti meritate un applauso forte per il vostro lavoro. Grazie, grazie!

Matteo Bruni

La prima domanda è di Joseph Farchakh della Televisione libanese (LBC International)

Joseph Farchakh – Televisione libanese (LBC International)

First of all, thank you so much for granting us this opportunity as the only Lebanese media to accompany you on your first foreign trip. Before my question, this is a gift from the LBCI family. It was drawn live on TV while you were moving from one stop to the other. This is you, and these are the different stops. You can see our Lady of Lebanon, Saint Charbel, the Beirut Port, every stop, every notable stop.

So really, we thank you so much for blessing us with this opportunity. On the back you can find a heartfelt appreciation by our Chairman of the board and his wife — Pierre and Randa Daher — They are really thankful for this opportunity. It was painted live on air while you were moving from one stop to other.

Back to my question, Your Holiness. You are an American Pope leading a peace process; you are on a peace mission in the region. My question is: Will you use your connections with President Donald Trump, with Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyau, and you stated on the plane before that the Vatican is friends with Israel? Will you raise the need to halt Israeli aggressions against Lebanon? Is sustainable peace achievable in the region?

Papa Leone XIV

First of all, yes, I believe sustainable peace is achievable. I think that when we talk about hope, and we talk about peace, and we look to the future, we do so because I believe it is possible that peace once again come to the region and come to your country, to Lebanon. In fact, I have already, in a very small way, begun a few conversations with some of the leaders of places that you have mentioned and I would intend to continue to do that, personally or through the Holy See; because the fact is that we do have diplomatic relationships with most of the countries through the region, and it would be our hope certainly, to continue to raise that call for peace that I spoke of at the very end of the Mass today.

Matteo Bruni

Grazie Santità, la prossima domanda è di Imad Atrach di Sky News Arabia.

Imad Atrach – Sky News Arabia

Santità, sono libanese quindi parlo in italiano, se mi permette. Santità, nel suo ultimo discorso, che credo sia molto importante, c’era un chiaro messaggio per le autorità libanesi, per negoziare. Quindi negoziare, dialogare, costruire. Il Vaticano farà qualcosa di concreto in questo senso? Poi ieri sera ha visto anche un esponente sciita. Prima del Suo viaggio, Hezbollah Le aveva inviato un messaggio: non so se Lei l’ha ricevuto, se l’ha letto, e cosa ci potrebbe dire al riguardo? La ringrazio molto per aver visitato il Libano, che era un sogno per noi.

Papa Leone XIV

Bene, grazie. È un aspetto di questo viaggio che non è stato, diciamo, la causa principale, perché il viaggio stesso è nato pensando a questioni ecumeniche, con il tema di Nicea, l’incontro con i Patriarchi cattolici e ortodossi, e cercando l’unità nella Chiesa. Ma in effetti durante questo viaggio ho avuto anche incontri personali con rappresentanti di diversi gruppi che rappresentano in realtà autorità politiche, persone o gruppi che hanno anche qualcosa a che vedere con i conflitti interni o anche internazionali nella regione. Il nostro lavoro principalmente non è una cosa pubblica che dichiariamo per le strade, è un po’ “dietro le quinte”. È una cosa che infatti già abbiamo fatto e continueremo a fare per cercare, diciamo, di convincere le parti a lasciare le armi, la violenza, e venire insieme al tavolo di dialogo. Cercare risposte e soluzioni che non sono violente ma che possono essere più efficaci, e migliori per il popolo.

Imad Atrach – Sky News Arabia

Il messaggio di Hezbollah Lei lo ha visto?

Papa Leone XIV

Si l’ho visto. Evidentemente c’è, da parte della Chiesa, la proposta che lascino le armi e che cerchiamo il dialogo. Ma più di questo preferisco non commentare in questo contesto.

Matteo Bruni

Grazie, Santità. L’altra domanda è da parte di Cindy Wooden di CNS (Catholic News Service)

Cindy Wooden – CNS

Holy Father, you said a couple of months ago that there is a learning curve to being Pope. When you arrived at Harissa yesterday, with the warm welcome, it looked like you said “wow.” Can you tell us what you are learning? What is the most difficult thing to learn for you in being Pope? And you haven’t told us anything either about what it felt like in the Conclave when it became clear what was happening. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Papa Leone XIV

Well, my first comment would be that just a year or two ago, I too thought about retiring someday. You have received that gift apparently. Some of us will continue to work.

The Conclave itself, I believe very strictly about the secret of the Conclave, even though I know that there have been public interviews where some things were revealed. I said to a reporter the day before I was elected, she caught me on the street as I was going to lunch across the street at the Augustinians, and she said “what do you think? You’ve become one of the candidates!’. And I simply said “everything is in the hands of God.” And I believe that profoundly. One of you — there is a German journalist on here who said to me the other day, tell me one book, besides Saint Augustine, that we could read to understand who Prevost is. And there’s several I thought of, but one of them is a book called “The Practice of the presence of God.” It’s a very simple book, by someone who doesn’t even give his last name, Brother Lawrence. I read it many years ago.

But it describes, if you will, a type of prayer and spirituality where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead. If you want to know something about me, that’s been my spirituality for many years. In the midst of great challenges, living in Peru during years of terrorism, being called to service in places where I never thought I would be called to serve. I trust in God and that message is something that I share with all people. So what was it like? I resigned myself to the fact when I saw how things were going, and I said that this could be a reality. I took a deep breath, I said, “Here we go Lord, you’re in charge, and you lead the way.”

Cindy Wooden ripete la prima parte della sua domanda.

Papa Leone XIV

I don’t know that I said “wow” last night. In the sense…my face is very expressive — but I’m oftentimes amused by how the journalists interpret my face. Seriously, 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.

I mean I was at the Jubilee for Youth, where there were over 1 million young people there. Last night was a small crowd. It’s always marvellous to me. I mean I think to myself these people are here because they want to see the Pope, but I say to myself they are here because they want to see Jesus Christ, and they want to see a messenger of peace, in this case in particular. So to just listen to their enthusiasm, and to hear their response to that message is something that I think is — that enthusiasm is awe-inspiring. I just hope I never get tired of appreciating everything that all these young people are showing.

Matteo Bruni

Grazie, Santità. La prossima domanda viene da Gian Guido Vecchi, Corriere della Sera

Gian Guido Vecchi – Corriere della Sera

Sono ore di grande tensione tra la Nato e la Russia, si parla di guerra ibrida, prospettive di cyber attacchi e cose del genere. Lei vede il rischio di una escalation, cioè di un conflitto portato avanti con nuovi mezzi come denunciato dai vertici Nato? E, in questo clima, ci può essere una trattativa per una pace giusta senza l’Europa che è stata in questi mesi sistematicamente esclusa dalla amministrazione americana?

Papa Leone XIV

Questo è un tema evidentemente importante per la pace nel mondo, però la Santa Sede non ha una partecipazione diretta, perché non siamo membri della Nato e di tutti i dialoghi finora. Anche se tante volte abbiamo chiesto il cessate il fuoco, dialogo e non guerra. È una guerra con tanti aspetti adesso, anche con l’aumento delle armi, tutta la produzione che c’è, cyber attacchi, l’energia. Adesso che viene l’inverno c’è anche un tema molto serio lì. È evidente che, da una parte, il presidente degli Stati Uniti pensa di poter promuovere un piano di pace che vorrebbe fare e che, almeno in un primo momento, è stato senza Europa. Però la presenza dell’Europa, in realtà, è importante e quella prima proposta è stata modificata anche per quello che l’Europa stava dicendo. Specificamente penso che il ruolo dell’Italia potrebbe essere molto importante. Precisamente, diciamo culturalmente e storicamente, per la capacità che ha l’Italia di essere intermediaria in mezzo a un conflitto che esiste fra diverse parti. Anche Ucraina, Russia evidentemente, Stati Uniti… In questo senso io potrei suggerire che la Santa Sede possa anche incoraggiare questo tipo di mediazione e che si cerchi e cerchiamo insieme una soluzione che veramente potrebbe offrire pace, una giusta pace, in questo caso in Ucraina. Grazie!

Matteo Bruni

Grazie Santità! La prossima domanda è di Elisabetta Piqué, di La Nación, anche lei è qua davanti.

Elisabetta Piqué – La Nación

Gracias, Santo Padre, por este primer viaje internacional, ante todo. Después, bueno, la bandera del Líbano tiene los mismos colores de la bandera del Perú: ¿es una señal de que se va a hacer este viaje a América Latina, teóricamente en la segunda mitad del año próximo junto a Argentina y Uruguay que quedaron pendientes? Fuera de broma, queríamos preguntarle qué viajes está preparando para el año que viene realmente. Y después, hablando de América Latina, está preocupando muchísimo, hay muchísima tensión por lo que está pasando en Venezuela. Hay un ultimátum del Presidente Trump a Maduro para que se vaya, para que deje el poder, y una amenaza a derrocarlo con una operación militar. Queríamos preguntarle qué piensa al respecto. Gracias.

Papa Leone XIV

In quanto ai viaggi, di sicuro sicuro non c’è niente. Spero di realizzare un viaggio in Africa. Sarebbe possibilmente il prossimo viaggio.

Elisabetta Piqué

Dove?

Papa Leone XIV

Africa, Africa. Personalmente spero di andare in Algeria per visitare i luoghi della vita di Sant’Agostino, ma anche per continuare il discorso di dialogo, di costruzione di ponti fra il mondo cristiano e il mondo musulmano. Già nel passato, in un’altra veste, ho avuto l’opportunità di parlare proprio di questo tema. È interessante: la figura Sant’Agostino aiuta molto come ponte perché in Algeria è molto rispettato come figlio della patria. Quello è uno. Qualche altro Paese, stiamo lavorando. Evidentemente mi piacerebbe tanto visitare l’America latina, Argentina e Uruguay che stanno aspettando la visita del Papa. Perù… penso che mi riceveranno pure! E allora, se vado in Perù, anche tanti Paesi vicini… Però ancora il progetto, el proyecto no está definido…

Elisabetta Piqué

¿26 o 27?

Papa Leone XIV

26 o 27, estamos viendo.

Elisabetta Piqué

Gracias.

Papa Leone XIV

Sobre Venezuela, a nivel de la Conferencia Episcopal, con el Nuncio, estamos buscando maneras para calmar la situación, buscar sobre todo el bien del pueblo, porque tantas veces quien sufre en estas situaciones es el pueblo, no son las autoridades. Las voces que vienen de Estados Unidos cambian, y con cierta frecuencia, a veces, hay que ver. Por un lado, parece que ha habido una conversación por teléfono de los dos Presidentes. Al otro lado, hay ese peligro, esa posibilidad de que haya alguna actividad, alguna operación incluso invadiendo territorio de Venezuela. Yo no sé más, yo de nuevo creo que es, digamos, mejor buscar maneras de diálogo, quizás presión, incluso presión económica, pero buscando otra manera para cambiar, si es lo que decidan hacer Estados Unidos.

Matteo Bruni

Grazie Elisabetta. Santità, l’altra domanda viene da Mikael Corre de La Croix.

Mikael Corre – La Croix

Hello, Your Holiness. Thank you for this very interesting trip. You just talked about continuing to build bridge between different worlds, and I would like to ask. Some Catholics in Europe believe that Islam is a threat to a Christian identity of the West. Are they right, and what would you say to them?

Papa Leone XIV

All of the conversations that I had during my time, both in Türkiye and in Lebanon, including with many Muslims, were precisely concentrated on the topic of peace and respect for people of different religions. I know, as a matter of fact, that has not always been the case. I know that in Europe there are many times fears that are present, but oftentimes generated by people who are against immigration and trying to keep out people who may be from another country, another religion, another race. And in that sense I would say that we all need to work together. One of the values of this trip is precisely to raise the world’s attention to the possibility that dialogue and friendship between Muslims and Christians is possible. I think one of the great lessons that Lebanon can teach to the world is precisely showing a land where Islam and Christianity are both present and are respected, and that there is a possibility to live together, to be friends. Stories, testimonies and witnesses that we heard even in the past two days of people helping each other, Christians with Muslims, both of whom had had their villages destroyed, for example, were saying that we can come together and work together. I think those are the lessons that would be important also to be heard in Europe or North America. That we should perhaps be a little less fearful and look for ways of promoting authentic dialogue and respect.

Matteo Bruni

La prossima domanda viene dalla giornalista della ARD Radio, Anna Giordano.

Anna Giordano – ARD Radio

The Church in Lebanon is supported also by the German Church. There are, for example, some German aid agencies very active in Lebanon. So from that point of view, it is important that the German Church has to be strong. So you probably know, that there is this Synodal Way, we call it Synodaler Weg, a process of change in the German Church going on. Do you think this process can be a way to strengthen the Church in Germany? Or is it the other way around? And why?

Papa Leone XIV

The Synodal Way is not unique to Germany, the whole Church has celebrated a synod and synodality over the past several years. There are some great similarities but there are also some marked differences between how the Synodaler Weg in Germany has been carried forward and how it may well continue in the universal Church. On the one hand, I would say there is room certainly for respect for inculturation. The fact that in one place synodality is lived in a certain way and in another place it is lived differently does not mean that there will be rupture or a fracture. I think that is very important to remember. At the same time, I am aware that many Catholics in Germany believe that certain aspects of the Synodal Way that has been celebrated in Germany up until now, do not represent their own hope for the Church or their own way of living the Church. So there is need for further dialogue and listening within Germany itself, so that no one’s voice is excluded, so that the voice of those who are more powerful does not silence or stifle the voice of those who might also be very numerous but don’t have a place to speak up and to allow their own voices and own expressions of Church participation to be listened to. At the same time, as you know, I am sure, the group of German bishops has been meeting, for the last couple of years, with a group of the cardinals from the Roman Curia. There is an ongoing process there as well, to try and make sure the German Synodal Way does not, if you will, break away from what needs to be considered as the pathway of the universal Church. I’m sure that will continue. I suspect there will be some adjustments made on both sides in Germany but I’m certainly hopefully that things will work out positively.

Matteo Bruni

Grazie Santità, grazie Anna. E l’ultima domanda, Santità, è di Rita El-Mounayer (Sat-7 International), un’altra giornalista che viene dall’area del Libano.

Rita El-Mounayer – Sat-7 International

We are four different Christian channels broadcasting in the Middle East and North Africa, two in Arabic, one in Farsi and one in Turkish. First of all, I would like to thank you for taking time for the Lebanese people. I am myself a child of war and I know how much it means to have a hug from Your Holiness, a tap on the shoulder, and saying, “Everything is going to be ok.” And what struck me is your motto, Your Holiness, it says ‘in the one we are one’. This motto speaks of building bridges between different Christian denominations, between religions and, also, across neighbors, that sometimes can be a bit difficult.

So my question is, from your own perspective, what unique gift does the Church in the Middle East – with all its tears, wounds, challenges and past history – have to offer to the Church in the West and the world?

Papa Leone XIV

Let me preface my response by saying that today people who grew up in a very individualistic society – young people who passed a very significant amount of time during the pandemic because of COVID, and whose personal relationship are oftentimes very isolated, in reality because they are only through computer screens or smartphones – they ask sometimes “Why should we want to be one? I am an individual and I don’t care about others.” And I think there is a very important message here to say to all people that unity, friendship, human relationships, communion, are extremely important and extremely valuable. If for no other reason than the example you mentioned about someone who has lived through war or has suffered and is in pain, what an embrace can mean to them. What that very human, real, healthy expression of personal care can do to heal the heart of someone else. On a personal level that can become, if you will, a common level, a community level that unites all of us, and helps us understand that respect for one another goes far beyond “you keep your distance, I’ll stay here, and you stay there and we’ll have no interaction”. But it means building up relationships that will enrich all people. With that message, certainly, my motto is primarily because of Christ “in illo” is “in Christ who is One we are all one.” But it is not defined, if you will, only for Christians. And as a matter of fact it is an invitation to all of us and to others to say, the more we can promote authentic unity and understanding, respect and human relationships of friendship and dialogue in the world, the greater possibility there is that we will put aside the arms of war, that we will leave aside the distrust, the hatred, the animosity that has so often been built up and that we will find ways to come together and be able to promote authentic peace and justice throughout the world.

Matteo Bruni

Grazie Santità, grazie per questa Sua risposta e per queste Sue risposte. Grazie per la disponibilità nel corso di questo viaggio.

Papa Leone XIV

Buon viaggio a tutti e grazie a voi!

Matteo Bruni

Grazie!