At the end of the farewell ceremony, the Holy Father boarded an A320neo / ITA Airways aircraft which departed at 13.48 (local time), and landed in Rome at 15.57 (Rome time).
Immediately after leaving, Pope Leo XIV sent the following telegram to the President of the Republic of Lebanon:
Telegram
HIS EXCELLENCY JOSEPH AOUN
PRESIDENT OF THE LEBANESE REPUBLIC
BEIRUT
RETURNING TO ROME AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY, I WISH TO EXPRESS ONCE AGAIN MY DEEP SENSE OF GRATITUDE TO YOUR EXCELLENCY, THE AUTHORITIES AND THE PEOPLE OF LEBANON, FOR THE WARM WELCOME AND KIND HOSPITALITY SHOWN DURING MY VISIT. ASSURING YOU OF MY CONTINUED PRAYERS FOR THE PEACE, UNITY AND PROSPERITY OF THE NATION, I CORDIALLY INVOKE UPON ALL OF YOU AN ABUNDANCE OF DIVINE BLESSINGS.
LEO PP. XIV
Telegrams to Heads of State during the flight from Beirut to Rome
During the flight to Rome, while flying over Cyprus, Greece and Italy, the Holy Father Leo XIV sent the following telegrams to the respective Heads of State:
Overflight Cyprus
HIS EXCELLENCY NIKOS CHRISTODOULIDES
PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS
NICOSIA
HEADING BACK TO ROME AFTER MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO LEBANON, I WILLINGLY RENEW MY PRAYERFUL GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF CYPRUS, AND I INVOKE UPON YOU ALL AN ABUNDANCE OF DIVINE BLESSINGS.
LEO PP. XIV
Overflight Greece
HIS EXCELLENCY KONSTANTINOS TASOULAS
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GREECE
ATHENS
FLYING OVER YOUR COUNTRY ON MY RETURN JOURNEY TO ROME FOLLOWING MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO LEBANON, I SEND GREETINGS OF GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF GREECE, TOGETHER WITH THE ASSURANCE OF MY PRAYERS FOR THE WELL-BEING OF ALL IN THE NATION.
LEO PP. XIV
Italy - arrival
HIS EXCELLENCY
HONOURABLE SERGIO MATTARELLA
PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC
QUIRINAL PALACE 00187 ROME
AS I RETURN FROM MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY IN TÜRKIYE AND LEBANON, WHERE I HAD THE JOY OF TRAVELLING TO NICAEA FOR THE 1700TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST ECUMENICAL COUNCIL AND OF MEETING CATHOLICS, OTHER CHRISTIANS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE VARIOUS RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS THE LEADERS OF INSTITUTIONS AND CIVIL SOCIETY, URGING EVERYONE TO ENGAGE IN CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE AND SOLIDARITY, I EXTEND MY CORDIAL GREETINGS TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AND INVOKE DIVINE BLESSINGS ON ITALY.
LEO PP. XIV
