Pope Francis and the leaders of various Lebanese Christian communities gathered in the Vatican to pray for peace in this Cedar country.
(Vatican News Network) The Day of Prayer for Peace in Lebanon initiated by Pope Francis began in the Vatican on July 1. The Pope first greeted the heads of various Christian communities in Lebanon and the members of various delegations at the House of St. Mart. Then, he and the patriarchs walked from the house of St. Mart’s and entered St. Peter’s Basilica through the prayer gate. This journey was started by Saint John Paul II in 1991, and he focused on the situation in Lebanon during the Conference of World Bishops held in 1995.
Attended the prayers were Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, the patriarch of Antioch, the patriarch of Antioch, and Youhanna X, the patriarch of the Eastern Greek Orthodox Church (Youhanna X), and Antioch Syrian Orthodox Patriarch Ignazio Aphrem II, Armenia Kirikia Patriarch Aram I, Antiochia Syrian Catholic Patriarch Ignazio Youssef III (Ignazio Youssef) III). Youssef Absi, the patriarch of Antiochian Greece-Melkita.
In addition, the pastor Joseph Kassab, chairman of the Supreme Council of the Syrian and Lebanese evangelical groups, and Michel Kassarji, the Chaldean bishop of Beirut, also attended the prayers. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, Minister of the Holy See Eastern Church, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, Holy See’s ambassador to Lebanon, and Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary-General of the Holy See State Department and National Relations Department The bishop was also present.
Everyone prayed for a while in St. Peter’s Basilica. The Pope and the heads of Lebanese Christian communities offered their prayers to God for peace in Lebanon at the apostle’s tomb. They walked down the stone ladder to the bottom of the central altar, and placed a lighted candle in front of the apostle’s tomb as a symbol of hope for the Lebanese people in the long-term instability. Then, the Pope and everyone came to the Apostolic Building to participate in a closed-door consultation meeting.
The day of prayer ended in the evening of the same day in St. Peter’s Basilica. The prayers of the Lord who read the word of God and the appeals and singing of different traditional Lebanese rituals continued one after another, in Arabic, Syriac, Armenian and Chaldean. At the end of the prayer, the people wished each other peace while observing the hygiene rules. Some young people gave a lighted oil lamp to the leaders of the Christian community. The lamp was then placed on a candlestick as a hope for peace in that land. Finally, the Pope delivered a speech, ending the day’s prayer activities.
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Day of Prayer for Peace in Lebanon