Pope Leo XIV’s first visit to the Middle East should have been a moment of hope. When he arrived in Lebanon, crowds lined the streets to welcome him. But among those cheering was a group no one should have expected — Hezbollah and its supporters.
Their presence wasn’t subtle or symbolic. Even Hezbollah’s Imam Al-Mahdi Scouts Association, a youth organization tied directly to the terror group, turned out for the visit. This is the same group that trains children through paramilitary drills and “cultural” programs designed to prepare them for Hezbollah’s ranks.
Yet one outlet, The Irish Times, described them merely as young scouts “assembling to perform,” glossing over their role in training children for a terrorist movement.
“The scouts were ‘assembling to perform’ — portrayed as an ordinary youth movement rather than an organization indoctrinating children into a terrorist ideology.”
(HonestReporting)
Hezbollah itself issued a warm statement emphasizing Lebanon’s “diverse composition” and blaming all instability on Israel. The media amplified it without meaningful scrutiny.
A Sanitized Story — While Christians Disappear
Hezbollah’s embrace of the Pope came against a painful reality:
Lebanon’s Christian population has steadily declined since Hezbollah rose to power.
The country that once held a Christian majority is now majority Muslim. Many Lebanese Christians have left because Hezbollah’s growing influence has brought violence, intimidation, economic collapse, and fear.
“The Christian community in Lebanon has specifically been the target of Hezbollah-affiliated attacks throughout the years.”
Instead of highlighting Hezbollah’s role in this exodus, major outlets framed Lebanon’s collapse as the result of Israel’s actions.
One NBC report described:
“Israel’s near daily attacks in Lebanon,”
while failing to note why Israel strikes Hezbollah positions at all — Hezbollah’s refusal to abide by ceasefires and its continued rocket fire at Israeli civilians.
Leaving out those facts creates a distorted picture: one in which Israel is threatening Lebanon’s ancient Christian community, rather than Hezbollah.
Israel, meanwhile, continues to protect Christians and other minorities — not only within Israel’s borders, but across the region, often quietly and at great personal risk to its own soldiers.
A Narrative That Matches Hezbollah’s Talking Points
The most concerning trend is how closely media coverage paralleled Hezbollah’s own press releases. Hezbollah blamed “Zionist occupation” and Israeli aggression for every crisis in Lebanon. Several outlets echoed the same framing, even in a story meant to cover the Pope’s pastoral visit.
CNN noted that Hezbollah “stopped firing rockets,” suggesting that this alone should make a ceasefire hold — without acknowledging Hezbollah’s vast illegal arsenal or its legal requirement to disarm under UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Israel’s responses are targeted, precise, and aimed squarely at Hezbollah’s infrastructure and leadership — not at Lebanese civilians. Every strike follows months of Hezbollah aggression and ongoing violations of international law.
The Truth Behind the Decline
The Washington Post briefly acknowledged that Lebanese Christians have fled due to Hezbollah’s rise — but still found room to shift blame onto Israel for Christian demographic decline in Bethlehem.
Yet data and firsthand accounts consistently show that Christians are leaving Bethlehem because of Islamist intimidation, discrimination, and economic flight, not Israeli policy.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah continues to rebuild military infrastructure in southern Lebanon and stockpile weapons. Its very presence endangers Christians and Muslims alike.
And yet, in much of the coverage of the Pope’s visit, none of this was explained.
Instead, Israel became the easiest target — even in stories where it played no part.
Standing with Israel and Lebanon’s Christians
Christian women who love Israel understand the stakes in Lebanon. Hezbollah is not only Israel’s enemy — it is also a destroyer of Christian communities in the region.
When the media echoes Hezbollah’s propaganda or erases its crimes, it strengthens a dangerous narrative:
Israel is the problem.
Terror groups are misunderstood.
Christians are safe — when they are not.
We must pray, but we must also speak truth with clarity.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”
— Isaiah 5:20
Misreporting does not merely misinform — it emboldens those who harm the innocent.
Lebanon’s Christians deserve better. Israel deserves better.
And the truth deserves better.
Source: HonestReporting – “When Hezbollah Welcomes the Pope, the Media Follows the Script.”
Stand with Israel as a Modern-Day Esther
When you give to Christian Women For Israel, you help comfort God’s people, push back rising antisemitism, and raise up modern-day Esthers who pray, teach, and act “for such a time as this.”
Your generosity today strengthens this work in Israel and around the world.
Stand with Israel – Donate Now
