Pope Leo XIV thumbs-up for Lebanon’s dancers
Lebanon. Under heavy rain, supporters line the street outside the Baabda presidential palace, where Pope Leo XIV is welcomed with traditional dabke dances ahead of his meeting with the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and top officials.
On November 30, 2025, Pope Leo XIV arrived in Beirut for the second leg of his first international journey. From the airport, he travelled in a motorcade of papal embassy vehicles to the start of Palace Road, then continued to the presidential palace in the popemobile, where a vibrant group of dancers from Baalbek welcomed him in the rain and received an enthusiastic thumbs-up from the Pope.
He offered a warm thumbs-up of encouragement to a group of young Lebanese dancers, celebrating their culture, resilience, and joy. His gesture, simple yet meaningful, highlighted his deep affection for Lebanon and his admiration for the creativity of its youth. As they performed with energy and pride, the Holy Father acknowledged them with a smile and a raised thumb – an unmistakable sign of support from a shepherd who values every expression of hope and life.
