Pope Francis hopes 'situation will change for the better' in Lebanon

Pope Francis expressed hope that the "situation will change for the better" in Lebanon during a conversation with two Lebanese religious representatives on the sidelines of the conference of episcopal councils and directors of Catholic media centers at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, reported the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

"Lebanon is more than a country, it is a mission, and with the election of a new president for Lebanon, there will be an improvement in the situation (...) Lebanon is in my heart and in my prayers," the pope further assured in front of Monsignor Abdo Abou Kassem, head of the Catholic Information Center, and the president of the Episcopal Committee for Media, Monsignor Antoine Nabil Andary.

After a period marked by five years of socioeconomic crisis, and a war between Hezbollah and Israel that concluded with a cease-fire that came into effect on Nov. 27, Lebanon elected a president on Jan. 9, the former commander-in-chief of the Lebanese Army Joseph Aoun, ending more than two years of void. The Prime Minister-designate in the wake of this election, former judge of the International Court of Justice Nawaf Salam, still has to form a government.