Pope Leo XIV concluded a three-day visit to Lebanon on Monday with a deeply symbolic prayer at the site of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, a disaster that continues to fuel the country’s multifaceted crises. The Pope’s visit – his first to Lebanon since assuming the papacy – aimed to offer solidarity with the Lebanese people and encourage their leaders to address the ongoing political and economic turmoil. Five years after the blast, which left over 300,000 homeless and a nation in mourning, the pursuit of accountability for the tragedy remains elusive, overshadowed by political interference and stalled investigations.
Pope Leo XIV offered a silent prayer at the port of Beirut on December 2, 2025, a site devastated by the catastrophic explosion of ammonium nitrate on August 4, 2020. The tragedy, which claimed over 200 lives and injured thousands, continues to resonate as a symbol of Lebanon’s ongoing struggles with political instability and economic hardship.
En un momento de recogimiento, el Papa León XIV rezó en silencio en el puerto de Beirut, donde la explosión de nitrato de amonio del 4 de agosto de 2020 dejó centenares de víctimas. El Pontífice se detuvo frente al monumento que honra a los fallecidos, en medio de los escombros… pic.twitter.com/ZrPU5GkMPo
— ACI Prensa (@aciprensa) December 2, 2025
The Pope was greeted by the Prime Minister upon his arrival and paused before a memorial dedicated to the victims, still surrounded by the wreckage of the blast. He then laid a wreath at the base of the monument, inscribed with the names of those who perished, and lit a votive candle.
Following the prayer, Pope Leo XIV met with approximately 60 family members of the victims. Many held photographs of their loved ones, while others included an elderly woman in a wheelchair and several young children, including a newborn. The Pontiff listened attentively to their stories and offered his blessings.
The port, situated on nearly an entire side of the peninsula forming Beirut’s capital, was the epicenter of the disaster. The double explosion on that August day resulted in more than 200 deaths, over 7,000 injuries, and left approximately 300,000 people homeless.
The ammonium nitrate, initially confiscated from the abandoned ship MV Rhosus in 2014, had been stored at the port without adequate safety measures. The resulting explosions occurred in two successive blasts – a smaller initial explosion followed by a second, considered one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in history.
The United States Geological Survey registered the event as a seismic event with a magnitude of 3.3.
Despite repeated calls, both domestically and internationally, for a thorough investigation into the legal responsibilities surrounding the explosion, effective, independent, and impartial inquiries have not been conducted.
In February of this year, investigations led by Judge Tarek Bitar resumed after years of suspension. However, questions remain due to obstacles and interference from political leaders and government officials, who refused to cooperate with interrogations and, in turn, filed complaints against the judge himself.
Five years after the explosion, the families of the victims, the injured, and generations traumatized by the tragedy continue to await justice. In recent months, the day of the explosion has been designated a national day of mourning, a street has been dedicated to the victims of August 4, 2020, and the blast site has been designated a place of historical significance.
