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A Christmas message from the Pope is not only sent to South Sudan, but also to Lebanon this Thursday. In a letter to Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, Francis expresses his dismay at the profound economic, social and political crisis of the Lebanese people.
Stefan von Kempis – Vatican City
It is a “word of comfort and encouragement” that the Pope wants to address to all Lebanese through the leader of the largest Catholic community in the Middle East, “regardless of their group or religious affiliation.” “My pain for the suffering and hopelessness suffocated by the bustle and liveliness typical of the country of cedars is great,” writes Francis. “What’s more, it pains me to see all hopes for peaceful coexistence fade.”
The end of a model
On a positive reading, Lebanon with its multitude of religious groups is seen as a model of coexistence; Skeptics counter this, saying that this model of internal balance of all forces has never worked properly, paralyzed the country for decades, and has now thrown it into the abyss. Francis also mentions in his letter that Lebanon “for history and for the world” is actually “a message of freedom and a testimony of a good coexistence”. But now he feels deeply “the seriousness of his losses, especially when I think of the many young people who are deprived of all hope of a better future.”
“Providence will not abandon Lebanon”
Francis’s letter makes no explicit reference to the explosion of the disaster in the port of Beirut; This explosion in early August was just one piece of the mosaic in the largest and most disturbing picture of a state that has been destroyed by its elite and is now sinking into misery. But, of course, the Pope not only wants to sing a lament, he also wants to give hope to the Lebanese: “Divine Providence will never leave Lebanon and will also know how to direct this drama in the best way.”
Anti-government protests in the streets of Beirut – Photo taken in September 2020
Like the cedars already mentioned in the Bible, the Lebanese should now return to their roots to return to being “a people of solidarity.” “Just as the cedar survives every storm, you too can rediscover your identity in the face of the difficulties of the moment, namely, respect, coexistence and pluralism.” Lebanese now “must not give up their homes and their heritage” so as not to betray the “dream” of their ancestors, “who believed in the future of a beautiful and prosperous country.”
Appeal to the political elite
Francis calls on political and religious leaders to rise above their shadows and work together for the good of the country. “Let us help Lebanon to stay out of the conflicts and tensions in the region,” he asks the international community. “Let’s help him get out of the serious crisis and recover.”
En passant: “I want to visit Lebanon as soon as possible”
In a subordinate clause, the Pope also mentions that “he wants to visit Lebanon as soon as possible.” The last pope to travel to Beirut was Benedict XVI in 2012, on his last trip abroad. Pope Francis plans to visit Iraq next March, if circumstances permit. The 84-year-old pope claimed in his letter to the divided political leaders in South Sudan, which was also published on Christmas Eve, that he wants to hold on to a visit to the civil war country of South Sudan, but can only travel there in peaceful conditions. .
(Vatican news)
