Pope Francis calls for international prayer for Lebanon, victims of blast

Pope Francis called for the international community to pray for Lebanon and the victims of the powerful warehouse explosion that shook the capital Beirut, during his general audience on Wednesday (August 5).

“Let’s pray for the victims and their families and let’s pray for Lebanon, so that with the commitment of all its social, political and religious components, it can confront such a tragic and painful moment, and, with the help of the international community, overcome the grave crisis it is going through,” he said.

Tuesday’s (August 4) blast at port warehouses storing highly explosive material killed 100 people and injured nearly 4,000 in a toll that officials expected to rise.

It was the most powerful in years in Beirut, already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections.

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