Pope Leo XIV calls for Thanksgiving gratitude worldwide and urges dialogue over violence as he prepares for a sensitive first papal trip to Lebanon.
Newsroom (26/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, encouraged people worldwide to express gratitude this Thanksgiving and appealed for an end to violence in Lebanon just days before his high-stakes visit to the conflict-battered nation.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo before departing for Rome, Leo described Thanksgiving as “this beautiful feast that we have in the United States, which unites all people — people of different faiths, people who perhaps do not have the gift of faith.”
Beyond national borders, the pope framed the holiday as a universal moment of reflection. “I invite everyone, not only in the United States, to take advantage of this occasion to recognize that we all have received so many gifts — first and foremost the gift of life, the gift of faith, the gift of unity — and to give thanks to God for the many gifts we’ve been given,” he said. In a simple yet pointed suggestion, Leo added: “Say thank you to someone.”
The remarks came two days before Americans celebrate Thanksgiving and less than a week before Leo begins his first international trip as pope — a six-day journey to Turkey and Lebanon starting November 27. The Lebanon leg fulfills a commitment originally made by his predecessor, Pope Francis, to visit the small Mediterranean country where Christians now comprise roughly one-third of the population in a Muslim-majority state.
Pressed by journalists on security risks amid ongoing regional violence, Leo acknowledged the danger but focused on moral persuasion rather than political specifics.
“It’s always a concern,” he said of the violence in Lebanon. “Again, I would invite all people to look for ways to abandon the use of arms as a way of solving problems, and to come together, to respect one another, to sit down together at the table, to dialogue and to work together for solutions for the problems that affect us.”
Asked for a message to Israel, whose military actions in Lebanon have escalated in recent months, the pope maintained an even-handed tone: “I encourage all people to look for peace, to look for justice, because oftentimes violence occurs as a result of injustices. And I think we have to work together, look for greater unity, respect for all people and all religions.”
The November 27–December 2 trip will mark the first time a U.S.-born pontiff has traveled abroad in office and comes at a particularly volatile moment for Lebanon, which continues to grapple with internal political paralysis and spillover from neighboring conflicts.
- Raju Hasmukkh with files from CNA
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