Pope prays at site of Beirut port blast at end of Lebanon visit

Pope Leo XIV visited the site of the devastating Beirut port explosion, where 218 people were killed in one of the worst maritime disasters in history. The Pope prayed silently at the memorial, calling for justice and truth to be uncovered.

The tragedy occurred on August 4, 2020, when a fire triggered the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been stored unsafely at a port warehouse for almost six years. The blast devastated a large part of Beirut's capital city, causing widespread destruction and chaos.

Five years on, many questions remain unanswered, and no-one has yet been held accountable for the disaster. Relatives of the victims say they need justice and accountability to move forward with their lives.

During his visit, Pope Leo XIV also met with some of the relatives of the victims, including Cecile Roukoz, whose brother Joseph was killed in the blast. Roukoz said that the Pope's visit was "very important" and that he raises his voice for justice. Another relative, Tatiana Hasrouty, who lost her father Ghassan in the blast, expressed gratitude for the Pope's efforts to help find the truth.

The Pope also used his visit to call for unity and peace in Lebanon. He lamented that the country's beauty had been overshadowed by poverty and suffering and appealed to its diverse communities to come together to solve their problems.

Ugh, I'm so over these commemorative visits from world leaders . Don't get me wrong, it's good that Pope Leo XIV is showing support for the victims' families, but can we just focus on some actual progress here? It's been 5 years and no one has faced justice for this disaster? That's just unacceptable. I mean, I'm all for unity and peace in Lebanon, but let's not sugarcoat it – there needs to be consequences for those responsible. The fact that he met with relatives of the victims is great, but what about concrete actions being taken? It feels like a PR stunt rather than actual change .

omg, this pope guy is so cool ! i cant even imagine him praying silently at the memorial site of that tragic explosion... it gives me chills just thinking about it . but seriously, 5 years on and no one's held accountable? its like, what even is justice if we can't get closure for those families? . im all for unity and peace in lebanon, but how do they plan to achieve that when they're still dealing with the aftermath of this blast? . pope leo xiv is def doing something right tho .

can you believe the pope is still bringing attention to this tragedy 5 years later? i mean, im not saying he's doing a bad job or anything... but seriously, shouldn't we be hearing more from the lebanese gov or other world leaders about what happened? it feels like the victims and their families are just being left behind. meanwhile, pope leo's visit is getting all the media attention

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how 5 years have passed since this tragedy happened and we're still waiting for answers . It's just not right that people are still living with uncertainty and no closure, especially when it comes to the families of those who lost their loved ones. The fact that Pope Leo XIV is doing his part to bring attention to this issue is definitely a step in the right direction . But I think we need more than just a visit from someone in power to really make a change happen. We need systemic changes and concrete actions taken by governments and corporations to prevent such disasters from happening in the first place . It's time for us to hold people accountable and demand justice for those who were affected by this tragedy .

I don’t usually comment but I feel like it’s really weird that 5 years have passed since this massive explosion happened and we still don’t know who was responsible or if anyone has actually gotten in trouble for it . It’s like the investigation just kinda... stalled out? And now Pope Leo XIV is over there, praying and calling for justice, but I wish they were doing more to pressure whoever made this happen to take responsibility . It's not just about the victims' families needing closure, it's also about making sure that something like this never happens again .

OMG, this is soooo sad . Can't believe it's been 5 years since that massive explosion happened. I mean, 218 people lost their lives... it's just too much. And the fact that no one has been held accountable yet? It's like, what even is justice? . The Pope's visit was a good step, though. At least he's speaking up for those who can't speak for themselves. But, like, we need more than just prayers and wishes... we need concrete actions . Lebanon needs to come together and figure out how this disaster happened in the first place. And, omg, Cecile Roukoz's statement about the Pope raising his voice for justice? Giving me ALL the feels . We gotta keep pushing for truth and accountability, fam .

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this Beirut port explosion tragedy. I mean, 218 people dead is just heartbreaking... The fact that no one's held accountable after five years is crazy. It's like, what's the point of having leaders if they can't take care of their own citizens? It's all about justice and truth, right? Pope Leo XIV visited the memorial and met with some of the families affected - that was really brave of him. But what I want to see is real action taken by the government to get to the bottom of this. We need answers, people!

I don't think it's fair to blame one person or organisation for what happened at Beirut port . The Pope visiting the site and meeting with families is a great sign of humanity and compassion . I mean, can you imagine if this had happened in a different country? Would the Pope be there now? It just goes to show that he truly cares about the people affected by the disaster.

I think we should focus on finding justice and truth rather than pointing fingers . We need to support the families of the victims and help them find closure . The Pope's visit is a reminder that even in difficult times, there are still good people doing good things .

just saw the pics of pope leo XIV visiting the beirut port explosion site ... feels so wrong that 5 yrs later no one's held accountable for that disaster . gotta commend him tho, at least he's trying to bring some closure & justice for the victims' families . but what's even more frustrating is how many questions are still left unanswered . like, how did it happen? who was responsible? need answers ASAP so these families can start healing

just saw the news about Pope Leo XIV visiting Beirut port explosion site still can't believe it's been 5 yrs since that disaster happened so many ppl are still waitin for answers & justice what's goin on? shouldn't someone be held accountable for this tragedy?! the Pope's visit was good 2 see, but is it enough? his message about unity & peace in Lebanon feels really needed rn lebanon deserves all the positivity & love right now

man this is so frustrating... five years on and still no answers about what happened at that port 218 people lost their lives and no one's held accountable it's not just about the victims' families needing justice, it's about holding those responsible for the disaster to account too and it's crazy that the Pope is basically saying they need to put aside their differences and come together for peace but what if we're already living in a society where poverty and suffering are just, like, normal

Honestly, I think it's super admirable that Pope Leo XIV took the time to visit Beirut and show his support for the families of the victims . It's not like he's gonna wave a magic wand and make everything better overnight, but at least he's showing up and listening to their stories. I mean, can you blame him though? The whole thing with the ammonium nitrate just doesn't seem right - it's crazy that nobody got held accountable for so long .

I think it's also really brave of him to call out poverty and suffering in Lebanon, even if it means going against the status quo. Like, we all know how complex these issues are, but sometimes you gotta speak truth to power, right? And hey, at least he's trying to bring some unity and peace to the table - that's more than a lot of people can say .

It's not like I'm saying he's perfect or anything, but it's nice to see someone in a position of influence using their platform for good . Maybe one day we'll actually get some real justice and answers about what happened on that fateful night .

Ugh, 218 people lost their lives in Beirut port explosion... it's still so sad . Can't believe no one has been held accountable after 5 yrs . Relatives of the victims are still waiting for justice . Pope Leo XIV's visit was a good start , but it's time to take action . Lebanon needs unity and peace now . Poverty and suffering are suffocating its beauty . We need truth and accountability more than ever . The Pope is doing his part, but we can't just sit back .

I feel really sad thinking about all those people who lost their lives in Beirut port explosion ... it's crazy that 5 years have passed and still no one has been held accountable for the disaster . The Pope's visit was a good start, but I wish more concrete actions were taken to bring justice and truth to the victims' families . On the bright side, it's heartwarming to see the Pope meeting with relatives of the victims and listening to their stories ... maybe his visit will help raise awareness and put pressure on those responsible . Lebanon is such a beautiful country, and I hope the Pope's words about unity and peace can inspire people to work together to overcome their problems .

I'm glad the Pope is showing support, but 5 years on? It feels like he's just paying his respects, not really pushing for any concrete change . I mean, 218 people lost their lives in that explosion and no one's been held accountable yet? That's a pretty big oversight if you ask me.

I get that the Pope wants to bring some sense of closure to the families, but what about the actual investigation into what went wrong? Did he push for any independent review or external probe? Or is it just business as usual in Beirut?

On the plus side, I do appreciate his message of unity and peace. Lebanon does need that right now, and if anyone can bring people together, it's the Pope . But let's not forget, words alone aren't enough; real action needs to follow for meaningful change to happen

man, this is such a sad story... but I think Pope Leo XIV's visit is like, super positive vibes ! Meeting with relatives of the victims and raising awareness about justice and truth... that's like, really needed right now . And can we talk about how beautiful Lebanon is supposed to be? it's just a shame all this negativity overshadowed it for so long... but hey, if anyone can bring people together, it's the Pope ! Maybe his visit will spark something positive and help the Lebanese community heal and move forward

Wow , 5 years on and still no answers? That's just so sad , can't imagine how tough it must be for those families to keep waiting for justice. The Pope's visit is a big deal, hope his words inspire some real change . Lebanon needs unity and peace more than ever, hoping the Pope's message resonates with everyone . The blast was devastating, can't believe 218 people lost their lives .

its really sad that 5 yrs have passed & still no one is held accountable for that disaster i feel bad for all the ppl affected by it, they deserve justice n truth 2 uncover. pope leo xiv's visit was a good gesture but we need more concrete actions taken by gov 2 find out wht happened n make sure those responsible r brought 2 book. unity n peace r important 4 lebanon, lets hope pope's message can inspire ppl 2 work together 2 move forward

Dude, I cant even believe it's been 5 whole years since Beirut port exploded . Like what's taking so long for people in charge to figure out who was responsible? I'm sure the Pope's visit means a lot to the families of those who died, but justice needs to be served ASAP . It's not just about finding answers, it's also about making sure someone gets held accountable for their negligence. The whole thing is still so frustrating . On the bright side, I'm glad Pope Leo XIV is using his platform to call for unity and peace in Lebanon . Maybe if everyone comes together, we can finally start rebuilding Beirut into something even better than it was before .