Pope Francis to meet Lebanese Christian leaders in the Vatican

Pope Francis will today (1 July) meet in the Vatican with ten Lebanese Christian leaders to reflect on the dire economic and political situation in their country, which he hopes to visit soon.

The leaders will stay at the Saint Martha’s guest house in the Vatican, where the pontiff himself lives, before taking part in what he described as a “special day of prayer and reflection on Lebanon.”

“I invite you all to join spiritually with us, praying that Lebanon may recover from the serious crisis it is going through and show the world once again its face of peace and hope,” Francis tweeted on Wednesday.

The pope has repeatedly offered his prayers for the people of Lebanon, which was plunged into crisis by a massive blast in Beirut last year that killed more than 200 people and ravaged swathes of the Mediterranean city. More than once, Francis has expressed his desire to visit Lebanon, which he has described as an “example of pluralism in both the East and the West” but which he said faced challenges that “threaten the very existence of this country.”

His visit could “perhaps” come at the end of 2021 or the beginning of 2022, preferably after a new government is formed, according to Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See's Secretary for Relations with States.

Among those attending the Vatican talks is Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai, who has been outspoken in criticizing the corruption of the political class in Lebanon. The day with the pope “will be an important step to help Lebanon remain the home of the Christian-Muslim partnership,” he told the French language daily L’Orient-Le Jour.

Lebanon recognizes 18 official religious sects and its 128 parliamentary seats are divided equally between Muslims and Christians.
 

source: commonspace.eu with Vatican Radio and agencies
Photo; The Santa Martha guest house in the Vatican, where Pope Francis will meet with Lebanese Christian leaders on 1 July 2021. (picture courtesy of Vatican Radio)

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell underlined that the European Union will make every effort to support the peace process and to remain a committed partner to the Afghan people. "Of course, we will have to take into account the evolving situation, but disengagement is not an option.  We are clear on that: there is no alternative to a negotiated political settlement, through inclusive peace talks.
EU interior ministers reach "historic" agreement on migration, but significant opposition remains
Interior ministers from the European Union's 27 member states reached a deal on the bloc's migration policy yesterday (8 June) after some 12 hours of negotiations at a meeting in Luxembourg. The agreement outlines how responsibility for looking after migrants and refugees who arrive in the EU without authorisation is shared out among member states, a topic which has been the source of much disagreement since 2015, when well over 1 million migrants and refugees entered the EU, many of them fleeing the war in Syria. Under the deal agreed yesterday and set to be finalised ahead of a 2024 EU election, each country would be responsible for a set number of people, but would not necessarily have to take them in. Countries unwilling to receive irregular migrants and refugees arriving ad hoc to the EU would be able to help their hosting peers through cash - around 20,000 euros per person - equipment or personnel, reports Reuters. The agreement would introduce a new expedited border procedure for those deemed unlikely to win asylum to prevent them from lingering inside the bloc for years.
patrickn97 Fri, 06/09/2023 - 10:37

Popular

EU interior ministers reach "historic" agreement on migration, but significant opposition remains
Interior ministers from the European Union's 27 member states reached a deal on the bloc's migration policy yesterday (8 June) after some 12 hours of negotiations at a meeting in Luxembourg. The agreement outlines how responsibility for looking after migrants and refugees who arrive in the EU without authorisation is shared out among member states, a topic which has been the source of much disagreement since 2015, when well over 1 million migrants and refugees entered the EU, many of them fleeing the war in Syria. Under the deal agreed yesterday and set to be finalised ahead of a 2024 EU election, each country would be responsible for a set number of people, but would not necessarily have to take them in. Countries unwilling to receive irregular migrants and refugees arriving ad hoc to the EU would be able to help their hosting peers through cash - around 20,000 euros per person - equipment or personnel, reports Reuters. The agreement would introduce a new expedited border procedure for those deemed unlikely to win asylum to prevent them from lingering inside the bloc for years.
patrickn97 Fri, 06/09/2023 - 10:37