Vatican: No Plans Under Discussion for Pope to Visit Lebanon

Pope Benedict XVI is planning to visit Cuba and Mexico in spring 2012 but there are currently no plans to visit Lebanon, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said on Thursday.

"The nuncios of Mexico and Cuba have been charged in recent days with informing the highest religious and political leaders in the two countries that the pope is examining a concrete project to visit," he said in a statement.

Benedict will be 85 years old by the time he makes the journeys.

The projected trips to Latin America are the first announced travel plans for the pope next year.

Lombardi added that no plans were currently under discussion to visit Lebanon, which had been mentioned as a possible destination for a papal trip.

As Safir newspaper reported last month that preparations are underway for a possible visit by Benedict to Lebanon in 2012 in an attempt to preserve the Christians’ presence in the country and the East.