Baghdad: Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun received Pope Leo XIV at the Presidential Palace in Beirut in a historic visit entitled "Blessed are the Peacemakers," amidst a grand official and popular celebration.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, President Aoun addressed the Holy Father, saying: "Your Holiness Pope Leo XIV, it is with great joy that I welcome you, messenger of peace, to a land of peace and pluralism. On behalf of the Lebanese people in all their diversity and sects, I welcome you to this small country, great in its mission, Lebanon, which has always been and remains a land that unites faith and freedom, difference and unity, pain and hope."

The three-day papal visit is Pope Leo XIV's first outside Rome, and comes at a critical time for Lebanon, which is experiencing sensitive national and political circumstances. The visit is expected to include religious and official meetings aimed at promoting a message of peace and pluralism in the country.