The story behind the young woman who wept while hugging Pope Leo in Beirut

“Standing in front of the pope, memories of this awful explosion flooded back. The cross was the same I held during the eight operations I underwent to repair the injuries I suffered,” she explained. “It also reminds me of how much Jesus loves me, dying on the cross, experiencing the pain of this world.”

The Beirut port explosion of Aug. 4, 2020, was the largest non-nuclear blast in modern history. It killed more than 220 people and wounded scores more, like Khoury. 

Efforts to investigate and bring to justice those responsible for allowing hundreds of tons of explosive ammonium nitrate at the port have so far been thwarted by political interference.

Khoury, now 36 years old, was at home in the Beirut district of Ashrafieh with her mother and brother when the powerful blast ripped through, slamming her against a wall as furniture flew in the air. Her left cheek, shoulder and clavicle were broken, and she sustained injuries to her left eyelid and teeth.  

Her brother suffered wounds from flying shattered glass, while her mother was unharmed. An aunt sitting in a wheelchair in a nearby apartment died from wounds from shards of glass.

“I told the Holy Father of this terrible pain, and yet feeling a sense of peace and hope remembering how much God loves me. It cannot compare to Jesus’ suffering on the cross,” she said.

‘What is so beautiful is his listening’

Pope Leo recited a silent prayer at the port Dec. 2 and later celebrated Mass, ending his first overseas trip as pontiff. Laying flowers at a memorial at the port, he prayed for survivors of the blast and tearful relatives of its victims.

“Although Pope Leo did not speak, he expressed with his eyes and listened intently to me and others. What is so beautiful is his listening,” Khoury said. “You sense that he understands deeply what’s inside us, the pain inside us, and that his understanding is great.”

Beside Khoury stood a man and his daughter, who was 2 years old when her mother, a nurse at St. George’s Hospital, was killed in the blast. A young boy standing with them experienced the death of his father who worked at the port.

“Pope Leo’s visit greatly touched us. He listened. He prayed in silence. This listening and prayer was extremely deep. He understands and feels the pain of the Lebanese and the need for justice to be served for the people,” Khoury said.