CNS photo/Vatican Media
Preparing the way of the Lord means taking concrete steps to help usher in God's kingdom of peace, Pope Leo XIV said on his first Advent Sunday back at the Vatican after his trip to Turkey and Lebanon.
At the end of his first foreign trip as pope, a trip focused on dialogue, Pope Leo XIV said the examples of friendship and respect he had seen could be a helpful example for people in North America and Europe, too.
Pope Leo XIV ended his stay in Lebanon with what he termed "a heartfelt appeal: may the attacks and hostilities cease."
At a shrine topped by a 28-foot-tall statue of Our Lady of Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV listened to stories of unshakable faith amid war, injustice and suffering.