President Michel Aoun meets with Apostolic Envoy Joseph Spiteri. (Credit: Dalati and Nohra)
BEIRUT — The Vatican’s press office on Tuesday night issued a statement clarifying that the “possibility of an Apostolic Journey of Pope Francis” to Lebanon is “being studied,” after the Lebanese president tweeted that the pope would visit the country in June.
Here’s what we know:
• “Apostolic Envoy Joseph Spiteri informed President Michel Aoun that Pope Francis will visit Lebanon next June,” Aoun tweeted Tuesday evening, adding that the exact date and agenda for the visit would be set later.
• Aoun visited Pope Francis at the Vatican in March and met the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states.
• On Aoun’s visit, the pontiff reportedly confirmed an upcoming visit to Lebanon, but without specifying the date. The trip followed a visit to Lebanon by Gallagher, during which he called on the international community to help Lebanon.