Speaking to the Lebanese on the occasion of Christmas, the Pope of the Vatican, Pope Francis, said, “Dear sons and daughters of Lebanon, raise your gaze in the darkness of the night, and let the Star of Bethlehem be a guide and an encouragement to enter into the logic of God, so that you do not lose sight of the road and not lose hope.”
In the message he addressed to Cardinal Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rai, Patriarch of Antioch for the Maronites, and Chairman of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon and to all the Lebanese, the Pope wrote, “To you, Your Beatitude, and through you to all the Lebanese, without distinction between sects or on the basis of religious affiliation, I would like to express some words of condolence and encouragement, on the occasion of the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace, “according to the Italian” AKE “agency.
And Pope Francis added, “Dear sons and daughters of Lebanon, my greatest pain is when I see the pain and anxiety that suffocates the spirit of courage and vitality that the country of the Cedars has broken up on, and what hurts more is the certainty that all the precious hopes of living in peace and survival, for history and for the world, have been kidnapped, a message of freedom and a testimony to good living Together… and I, who share with you, with a sincere heart, all joy, as well as every disappointment with you, today I feel, in the depth of myself, the horror of your losses, especially when I think about the many young people from whom all hope for a better future has been taken away. But, on this Christmas day, The people who walked in darkness saw a great light. ”(Isaiah 1, 1) It is the light that calms fears and pours out in everyone the sure hope that God’s providence will never leave Lebanon and know how this sadness also turns into good.
He added, “From this standpoint, I appeal to political and spiritual leaders, borrowing this passage from one of the pastoral letters of Patriarch Elias Howayek:“ You are responsible, you are the judges of the earth, you are the people’s representatives, who live on behalf of the people, you are obligated, in your official capacity and according to It is your responsibilities to pursue the common good. Your time is not devoted to your interests, and your job is not for you, but for the state and for the nation that you represent. ”In conclusion, my love for the dear Lebanese people, which I intend to visit as soon as possible, in addition to the constant interest that motivated the work of my predecessors and the work of the Holy See, pushes me to turn again to the international community. Let us help Lebanon stay out of regional conflicts and tensions .. Let us help it get out of the acute crisis and recover.
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