Nine of Lebanon’s Christian leaders met with Pope Francis on Thursday 1 July, spending the day together to reflect on how to alleviate the country’s crisis and pray together in St Peter’s Basilica. The day began with the Pope and his guests praying the Our Father in Arabic in the Basilica, before heading to a series of meetings. An ecumenical prayer service in the afternoon closed the day of prayer and reflection.
Those who met in Rome included The Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II; the head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Aram I; Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X of Antioch; Cardinal Bechara Rai, the Maronite patriarch of Lebanon; Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignace Joseph III Younan; and Rev. Joseph Kassab, president of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community in Syria and Lebanon.
“As Christians, today we wish to renew our commitment to building a future together,” Francis said during the ecumenical prayer service, adding that human relations can’t be rooted on the pursuit of “partisan interests, privileges and advantages.”
“Christians are called to be sowers of peace and builders of fraternity, not nursing past grudges and regrets, not shirking the responsibilities of the present, but looking instead with hope to the future,” he said. “Let us therefore assure our Muslim brothers and sisters, and those of other religions, of our openness and readiness to work together in building fraternity and promoting peace.”
Towards the end of his remarks Francis highlighted the role young people and women have in the rebirth of Lebanon, asking for the voices of the first be heeded and for women to be included in decision-making processes.
Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for Eastern and Oriental Churches, told reporters that for Christians, the most important element of the day of reflection for Lebanon was “to begin with faith. In Lebanon there are many problems, many difficulties, much suffering. It’s superfluous for me to go into details about this.”
“Who can intervene? God, our father,” he said, which is why Pope Francis invited the leaders for a day of prayer and reflection “in the light of God’s grace.”
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Pope Francis calls on international community to help Lebanon (Crux)
Lebanon’s Christian leaders around the Pope in prayer for the nation (Vatican News)
