Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed his commitment to regional peace during a brief meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Sunday, following the inaugural Mass of his papacy in St. Peter’s Square.

“I continue to pray for the safety and stability of Lebanon and the happiness of its people, and I will keep working for peace in Lebanon and the region,” the pontiff told Aoun, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.

President Aoun, who attended the historic ceremony with his wife, thanked the pope for his steadfast support, as he also extended an official invitation to the pontiff to visit Lebanon.

In a separate meeting on May 14 with representatives of Eastern Churches, Pope Leo XIV reiterated his determination to “do everything possible to spread peace from the Holy Land to Ukraine, from Lebanon to Syria, from the Middle East to Tigray and the Caucasus.”

“War is never inevitable; weapons can and must be silenced, for they do not solve problems — they only aggravate them,” he declared.