SAT-7 CEO JOINS POPE ON FIRST OVERSEAS TRIP TO MIDDLE EAST
SAT-7’s CEO Rita El-Mounayer will join Pope Leo XIV on his debut overseas trip this week, travelling to Türkiye and Lebanon on a visit to promote Christian unity and peace in the Middle East.
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The six-day trip starts in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Thursday (27 November) and ends in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on Tuesday (2 December).
Marking the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the trip includes a prayer service near the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos in İznik (modern-day Nicaea). The Pope will spend time in silent prayer at the site of the devastating port explosion in Beirut in 2020 before holding an open-air mass at Beirut waterfront.
SAT-7 CEO Rita El-Mounayer and SAT-7 Lebanon Executive Director Maroun Bou Rached (pictured below) were accepted as Vatican Accredited Media Personnel for the trip and will attend all the meetings and events.
“It is a great honour to have the opportunity to travel with the Pope to Türkiye and Lebanon on the first overseas visit of his papacy,” Rita said. “As a Middle Eastern media ministry, we are thankful that he has chosen our region for this trip: a region in great need of hope, peace and encouragement.
“We pray that the Pope’s visit will highlight the long history of the Church in the Middle East and the endurance of believers from different denominations through various challenges. Please join me in praying for a fruitful and encouraging visit, and for further opportunities for churches in the Middle East to celebrate the unity expressed through the Nicene Creed.”
Pope Leo XIV will meet with Türkiye and Lebanon’s political leaders, and visit churches and Christian communities in both countries, highlighting the service of Christian workers in healthcare and education.
The Pope will meet with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, leader of the Orthodox Church, and the pair will sign a joint declaration at the Patriarchal Palace, Istanbul.
Other highlights include a meeting with young people in Bkerké, Lebanon, and a visit to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Türkiye.