Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday criticized anti-migrant activists who amplify “fears” of Islam, urging Europe and the United States to look to Lebanon as a model for Christian–Muslim cooperation.

The 70-year-old pontiff made the remarks to reporters during his return flight following a visit to Turkey and Lebanon—his first trip outside Italy since assuming leadership of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in May.

Pope Leo said anti-Muslim sentiment is “often generated by people who oppose immigration and who want to keep out those who may come from another country, another religion, another race.”

He explained that his visit to Lebanon was meant to demonstrate “that dialogue and friendship between Muslims and Christians is possible.”

The pope said the stories he encountered during the trip—accounts of Christians and Muslims supporting and protecting one another—offered “lessons… that we should perhaps be a little less