Pope Leo prays with victims' families at Beirut blast site
By Isabella H. de Carvalho — Beirut
Silence, heavy with the memories of 4 August 2020, hung over the Port of Beirut on Tuesday.
On that day, the Lebanese capital had been filled with chaos, as an explosion killed more than 200 people, wounded 7,000, and left 300,000 without homes, a tragedy that deepened the political and economic crises already burdening the population.
Yet, on 2 December, the only sounds were the whir of helicopters overhead and the clicks of camera shutters, as Pope Leo XIV stood for several minutes before the monument bearing the names of all the victims as the world looked on.
He then bent to touch a wreath of red roses placed at its base, lit a candle and raised his hands in prayer.
Behind him were piles of rubble from the blast, and standing against the grey sky were the tattered grain silos, very close to where the explosion originated.
Between the Pope and the debris were the families of victims and survivors from the blast, holding photos of their loved ones.
After praying, the Pope greeted some of them. To this day, almost 6 years on, those responsible for the blast have still not been held accountable.
Pope in land “that has the remains and blood of our victims”
Nada Abdelsater, a board member of the Beirut Foundation, which strives to improve the life of the Lebanese people, held in her hand the photo of curly-haired Isaac, a two-year-old boy, the youngest victim.
“I’m representing his family," she said. "He was a baby and in his chair at home when he was killed in the blast. Isaac was Australian; his parents are Australian, they happened to be in Lebanon at the time.".
“They specifically asked me to be here today so that Isaac’s soul and his family can be blessed by Pope Leo,” she said.
Abdelsater brought a black-and-white scarf printed with the photos of all the victims, hoping to give it to Pope Leo XIV.
“We gave one to Pope Francis, and we want to give this to Pope Leo as a way to mark his visit to this blessed land, and to acknowledge that he came and blessed this land that holds the remains and the blood of our victims,” she said.
United in prayer in the hope of finding the truth
Next to her stood Cecile Rukoz, a lawyer who lost her 45-year-old younger brother, Joseph, in the blast as he was working inside the port. His young son was also present at the event.
“We are very grateful for this visit from the Pope because he wants to pray for the souls of our martyrs and victims,” Rukoz said. “We know that he raises his voice for justice, and we need justice for our brothers and all the victims of this explosion.”
Tatiana Hasrouty, a 24-year-old lawyer, recounted how she lost her father in the blast, as he had been working in the silos. For her, the Pope’s visit “seeks to send a message of resilience.”
“I was one of the people who met Pope Francis [in 2024, ed.], and it gave us hope that he was looking at us, that he was listening to us. With the visit of Pope Leo, we now know that the Vatican sees us and feels our pain,” she said.
“He is standing here, in the place where most of the victims died, to pray, and that sends a message of hope to the world, because the families of the victims include not only Christians like us, but also Muslims,” she emphasized. “I think this is the greatest message he is giving us right now: to remain united in prayer and in the hope of finding the truth.”
Nohad Abdou, who lost her nephew, Jaques Baramachian, in the explosion, expressed the same desire. “We want justice; we want to know who is responsible,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion.
She pointed to a white building in the distance where her nephew had lived. “He was at home during the blast, and he passed away along with his friend.”
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