"I address an urgent appeal to all Lebanese politicians to immediately elect a president of the republic," the pontiff said in St Peter's Square at the end of Sunday's Angelus prayer.
Lebanon's institutions must "begin to function normally again in order to undertake the necessary reforms and preserve the country's role as an example of peaceful coexistence between different religions," Francis said.
Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri has called a presidential election for January 9 in an attempt to end a leadership vacuum that has lasted two years.
Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun's term expired in October 2022.
Neither of the two main blocs in parliament - Iran-backed Hezbollah and its opponents - have the majority needed to elect a head of state and have failed to agree on a consensus candidate. | BGNES
