By Joshua McElwee

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) -Pope Leo plans to visit Lebanon, the country's senior Catholic official announced on Wednesday, in what could be the first visit outside Italy by the new leader of the global Church.

The pope will travel to Lebanon "by December", Cardinal Bechara Rai told the al-Arabiya television channel.

Rai, leader of the 3.5-million-member Maronite Catholic Church, did not give a specific date for the visit but said "preparations are already underway".

A Lebanese official familiar with the matter confirmed that........

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