Local Editor
Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Lebanon with a peace message, saluting the Arab Spring and calling for an end to the conflict in neighboring Syria.His three-day visit marks the first papal trip to the country in 15 years.
During his stay, the pontiff will meet politicians and leaders from Lebanon's 18 religious groups.
On his flight to Lebanon, the Pope told reporters that Syrian arms imports were a "grave sin".
He also called for an end to the conflict there, saying fundamentalism was "always a falsification of religion".
The pontiff described the Arab Spring as "a desire for more democracy, for more freedom, for more cooperation and for a renewed Arab identity".
A small crowd of dignitaries and cheering supporters with banners greeted Pope Benedict at Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut.
He was welcomed by Lebanese President Michel Sleiman with a 21-gun salute, and with church bells ringing out around the country.
The Pope told Sleiman he was visiting the country as a "pilgrim of peace".
"Let me assure you that I pray especially for the many people who suffer in this region," he said.
"The successful way the Lebanese all live together surely demonstrates to the whole Middle East and to the rest of the world that, within a nation, there can exist cooperation between the various churches and at the same time coexistence and respectful dialogue between Christians and their brethren of other religions."
"The celebrated Lebanese equilibrium which wishes to continue to be a reality, will continue through the good will and commitment of all Lebanese,” he added.
"Only then will it serve as a model to the inhabitants of the whole region and of the entire world,” he said.
The pope's next stop will be the papal embassy in Harissa.
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