Archbishop Paul Gallagher speaks with Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday. (Credit: Dalati and Nohra)
BEIRUT — Vatican envoy Archbishop Paul Gallagher continued his Lebanese tour Thursday, meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the Lebanese Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdellatif Derian and the Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
Here’s what we know:
• “I came to Lebanon with a message from the pope, It is a message of hope for a country that is very dear to him,” Gallagher said after his meeting with Mikati. "We are here to give strength to the Lebanese and to tell them that we are behind you to face the challenges.”
• He also claimed that “change is coming to Lebanon and we pray that it will be in the interest of the country. In the name of the pope and the Catholic church, we will always stand by Lebanon.”
• For his part, the prime minister thanked Gallagher for his visit and said that he “hopes that the Lebanese have heard the pope’s message.” Mikati added, “We value your call for Lebanon to remain a project of peace, forgiveness, and plurality for all faiths.” He also assured Gallagher that his government is “determined to pursue its program of reforms.”
• After meeting the grand mufti at Dar al-Fatwa, Gallagher said “Our dialogue was constructive, especially on the interreligious dialogue regarding Muslims and Christians.”
• Gallagher also described his discussions with Bou Habib as “fruitful.” “I was pleased to hear that progress had been made in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund,” the Vatican’s No. 3 added.