Culture

Lebanon’s first lady Nehmat Aoun takes center stage during Pope's visit

Lebanon’s first lady, Nehmat Aoun, attended nearly all gatherings and visits of Pope Leo during his three-day trip to Beirut, highlighting her active involvement in social and humanitarian issues.

Beatrice Farhat
Beatrice Farhat
Dec 2, 2025
Adri Salido/Getty Images
President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun and his wife, Nehmat, arrive for the Waterfront Mass on Dec. 2, 2025, in Beirut, Lebanon. — Adri Salido/Getty Images

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s first lady, Nehmat Aoun, garnered widespread attention and fanfare during Pope Leo XIV’s three-day visit to Beirut this week. Crowds cheered as she greeted worshippers outside main cathedrals, pausing to shake hands, pose for photos and bless children held up by their parents. 

Her composed demeanor beside the pope during the Mass in downtown Beirut, and her ordinary appeal along with visible emotion during the visit to mountain monasteries, sparked a wave of admiring commentary on local TV and social media, where many saw her as a unifying, dignified face of the presidency at a moment of rare national uplift.

Pope Leo XIV meets with Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and his wife Nehmat Aoun at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of the capital Beirut, Lebanon, Nov. 30, 2025.
Pope Leo XIV meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and his wife, Nehmat Aoun, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of the capital Beirut, Lebanon, Nov. 30, 2025. (Alessandro Di Meo / AFP via Getty Images)

On Tuesday, Nehmat arrived alone at De La Croix Hospital, a Catholic-run psychiatric facility in Jal el-Dib, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of the capital, to welcome the pope. The hospital was one of the stops on his trip, which began Sunday.

She was met with applause and ululations from the hospital staff and patients as she greeted the crowds.

Nehmat later joined President Joseph Aoun to the Beirut Waterfront Arena, where Pope Leo held a public mass attended by more than 150,000 people who traveled from across the country for the gathering.

Wearing a classic black dress complemented by a pearl necklace, the first lady appeared solemn yet subtly elegant, embodying the hope of many Lebanese that the pope’s visit will bring a sense of peace to the nation.

In his speech at the mass, the pontiff said he came “as a pilgrim of hope to this Middle East marked by war and suffering.”

“Dear Christians of the Levant, I invite you to look to the heavens to see the Lord coming. Be artisans of peace, heralds of peace, witnesses of peace,” he urged.

“It is time to change course; there is too much suffering in the East. It is time to educate minds for peace. I pray for peace and for dear Lebanon, and I call on the international community to spare no effort to encourage peace processes and for all political leaders to heed your calls for peace,” he continued.

Earlier on Monday evening, Nehmat participated in the pope’s gathering with more than 13,000 young men and women at the Patriarchal Residence in Bkerke, about 23 kilometers (14 miles) north of the capital, in the presence of patriarchs and other dignitaries.

She accompanied her husband when the pope visited the shrine of Saint Charbel at the Saint Maroun Monastery on Monday morning. After the president departed for Baabda Palace, Nehmat traveled to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon, about 26 kilometers (16 miles) north of Beirut, to join the pontiff in a gathering of bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and pastoral workers.

On Sunday, the first lady, dressed in a black ensemble with white accents by Lebanese brand Glamoda, stood beside her husband and bowed before Pope Leo after his arrival at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport.

The presidential couple later posed for a photograph with the pope at Baabda presidential palace.

Criticism

While many praised her demeanor, which they said reflected the humility and elegance of Lebanese women, Nehmat was not spared criticism from social media users who accused her of breaching protocol.

In a video showing her cheering with the crowds upon arriving in Bkerke to attend the pope’s meeting with the youth, some commenters described her behavior as too informal for the occasion.

Others criticized the first lady for not wearing a black veil or for walking behind, rather than alongside, the pope upon his arrival at the airport on Sunday — gestures they argued were required by Vatican protocol. However, the Vatican has become less strict in recent years, and the wearing of a black veil for women is no longer mandatory.

Critics also targeted the president and his wife for their apparent failure to publicly mention to the pope the near daily Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire that has been in place for over a year.

Who is Nehmat Aoun?

Nehmat is no stranger to the public eye. Before her husband assumed the presidency Jan. 9, she was already involved in social and humanitarian work, drawing on her long experience in public relations.

For 23 years, she headed the Protocol and Public Relations Department at the Lebanese American University, a position she held until 2016. She currently serves as president of the National Commission of Lebanese Women, a government body established in 1998 to promote women’s rights and gender equality in public institutions.

In February, she officially launched her social media accounts — a notable departure from her predecessors, who largely avoided public engagement online.

Beyond her traditional role attending official ceremonies, Nehmat is active in social and humanitarian initiatives, advocating for women's rights, national unity and community development.

In October, she launched the School of Citizenship program, the first initiative of its kind in Lebanon aimed at rebuilding civic trust among the country's youth. Supported by UNESCO, the program has been integrated into 150 schools nationwide, teaching students the importance of civic values and strengthening the relationship between citizens and the state.

In a September interview with Vogue Arabia, Nehmat said her priority is to “combat gender-based violence, to dismantle systemic inequalities and to ensure women’s voices are heard in politics, the economy, security and every sphere of social life.”

On Sept. 22, the first lady attended the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women at the United Nations in New York. In her speech before the General Assembly, she emphasized the need to empower women in order to build a sovereign country.

“There will never be true sovereignty in Lebanon if the women are not self-determined. Reconstruction and nation building is impossible, if they are marginalised or excluded from decision-making and leadership,” she said.

Nehmat also led Lebanon’s delegation to the 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in March, where she praised the resilience of Lebanese women amid decades of conflict and economic crises, while highlighting the urgent need for reforms to address gender disparities.

Related Topics

Women’s rights Lebanon War