Pope Francis arrives with Christian Lebanese leaders for a "short moment of prayer" at the Altar of Confession in Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on July 1, 2021. (Credit: Andreas Solaro/AFP)
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis met on Thursday with 10 Lebanese Christian leaders to reflect on the dire economic and political situation in their country, which he hopes to visit soon.
The pontiff greeted the leaders and their delegations, who stayed overnight Wednesday at the Saint Martha’s guesthouse in the Vatican, where the pontiff himself lives, before walking to Saint Peter’s Basilica nearby.
“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, calling it a “special day of prayer and reflection on Lebanon.”
Before the first of three meetings, the Pope brought the group inside the basilica to pray at the papal altar and place candles at the tomb of Saint Peter in the crypt below.
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 pope’s de facto foreign minister.
Maronite patriarchal Vicar Samir Mazloum told AFP that Thursday’s meeting would focus on the emigration of young people and the impact of the crisis on schools, hospitals, families and food security.
Currently “50 to 60 percent of our young people live abroad. There are only old people and children left,” he lamented, noting high unemployment and the collapse in the value of the local currency.
Among those attending the Vatican talks is Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-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 L'Orient Today’s sister publication, L’Orient-Le Jour.
Lebanon recognizes 18 official religious sects and its 128 parliamentary seats are divided between Muslims and Christians.
For another participant, Cesar Essayan, an apostolic vicar in Beirut, “Lebanon is in the middle of an identity crisis” with corruption reaching all sectors of society, including the religious.
“This is a very important moment for us,” he said during an online press conference.
The pontiff greeted the leaders and their delegations, who stayed overnight Wednesday at the Saint Martha’s guesthouse in the Vatican, where the pontiff himself lives,...