President Aoun: “The role played by the
Holy See is in the interest of all Lebanese, and we look forward to continuing
it”.
Monsignor Gallagher: “The Pope wants to
come to Lebanon soon, and he is concerned about Lebanon and the Lebanese. The
Pope considers that Lebanon must remain a peace project”.
Monsignor Gallagher: “We call on everyone
to preserve Lebanon as a message of coexistence, brotherhood and hope among
religions”.
Monsignor Gallagher: “We share your desire
for the return of the displaced, and we are committed to continuing to work for
that”.
Monsignor Gallagher: “We encourage dialogue
between the Lebanese, and if there is an invitation to the Holy See, we can
play the role of facilitator or mediator”.
President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun,
asserted that he is exerting all efforts so that Lebanon remains the homeland
and message for the east and west, according to what Pope, John-Paul II wanted.
The President also stressed that “As Lebanese, we believe that our homeland is
a message, and we strive to preserve it in accordance with this vision despite
all difficulties, which are many”.
Positions of President Aoun came while meeting Holy
See Secretary for Relations between Countries, Monsignor Richard Paul
Gallagher, today at the Presidential Palace.
The meeting was attended by: Papal Ambassador to
Lebanon, Monsignor Joseph Spitri, Chargé d'Affairs at the Papal Embassy,
Monsignor Giuseppe Franconi and Monsignor Marco Formica.
On the Lebanese side: former Minister, Salim
Jreissati, Director General of the Presidency, Dr. Antoine Choucair, and
advisors Rafic Chelala, Antoine Constantine and Osama Khashab.
Monsignor Gallagher is on a visit to Lebanon “At the
request of Pope Francis, bearing the closeness of the Holy Father to the
Lebanese people of all their sects, in the current difficult circumstances
which the country is passing through”.
Monsignor Gallagher began the meeting by conveying the
greetings of Pope Francis to President Aoun, and through the President to the
Lebanese, stressing his “Meticulous follow-up on the developments in the
Lebanese situation”.
Monsignor Gallagher quoted the Pope that “Lebanon
deserves exceptional attention, because the entire Middle East looks to Lebanon
as a message for the future, and from here comes the necessity of preserving
the Lebanese national identity. If the situation develops positively, the
Lebanese national identity will be reflected in the region. A strong and united
Lebanon can set an example for the entire Middle East, with its Christians and
Muslims, in the service of the common good for all, and this is the truth of
the Lebanese call. We hope that this role will be played again in the future
and it is easy to say that Lebanon is a message, but we must work together so
that this message becomes a tangible reality”.
Monsignor Gallagher also emphasized that Pope Francis
expressed his desire to visit Lebanon. “His Holiness will come soon, but we
have to define the meaning of the word soon” Monsignor Gallagher said, wishing
President Aoun to pay a visit to the Holy See.
For his part, President Aoun thanked Pope Francis for
the depth of his love for Lebanon and his closeness to the Lebanese, on several
occasions, wishing Monsignor Gallagher to convey the love of the Lebanese of
different sects to His Holiness, and their attachment to the Holy See.
“We thank the Holy See in all its departments for the
care it pays to Lebanon, and for standing to heal the wounds of the Lebanese
through the assistance it provides on multiple levels, especially during the
difficulties which Lebanon is witnessing” the President said.
The President also recalled the private meeting he had
with the Pope and senior officials in the Vatican at the beginning of his
presidential term, and said “We look forward with great interest to the visit
that His Holiness promised to carry out to Lebanon, hoping that it will be the
beginning of Lebanon’s resurrection and recovering from its crises. The role
played by the Holy See is in the interest of all the Lebanese, hence the great
appreciation that everyone has for them, looking forward to the Holy Father as
a guarantor of Lebanon’s importance and presence in its surroundings and the
world”.
“We look forward to continuing this support in view of
the gravity of the challenges facing us, which are unprecedented in the modern
history of Lebanon. We hope that with this support, along with other friends of
Lebanon in the world, we will overcome the negative repercussions of regional
crises and conflicts” President Aoun stressed.
Statement:
After the meeting,, Monsignor Gallagher made the
following statement:
“I come to Beirut on the 75th anniversary
of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Lebanon,
and on the 25th anniversary of the apostolic visit of His Holiness,
Pope John-Paul II, to Lebanon on the occasion of signing the Apostolic
Exhortation “A New Hope for Lebanon”.
We also recall that this occasion is the 10th
anniversary of the apostolic visit of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, to
Lebanon.
The Holy Father instructed me to convey, to the
Lebanese people, his closeness and concern for Lebanon and the Lebanese, in the
deep economic, social and political crisis which they are going through. When
the Holy Father went to the Diplomatic Corps dinner a few days ago, to
celebrate the New Year, he said the following about Lebanon: “I believe that
necessary reforms, in addition to the support of the international community,
will help Lebanon continue its own identity, as an example of peaceful
coexistence and brotherhood between different religions. On this occasion, I
urge the international community to continue providing support and assistance
to Lebanon to reach the path of resurrection, and I hope that this country will
continue to play the role of a model and an example as a society full of
tolerance and pluralism in the Middle East, where the Christian community can
make its contribution”.
In his speech to the diplomatic corps in 2021, Pope
Francis said the following about Lebanon “Christians, through their
educational, health and humanitarian work, constitute an integral part of the
social and historical roots of Lebanon. It is necessary to ensure that
Christians can continue their efforts for the sake of the country of which they
were one of its founders. Any weakening of Christian presence would destroy the
internal balance and the Lebanese identity.
I would like to benefit from this opportunity to
express my closeness and sympathy to the victims of the horrific explosion of
the Beirut Port on August 4th, 2020, and their families. I hope that
all the Lebanese and victims of families receive consolation in their faith and
in the pursuit of justice.
Finally, allow me to remind you of what Pope Francis
said on July 1, 2021, when he gathered the heads of Churches in the Vatican “In
these hopeful days, we would like to emphasize that Lebanon was, is and must
remain a peace project”. His call is for
Lebanon to be a land of tolerance and pluralism, and an oasis of eternity where
all sects and religions meet, and sects live together, putting public interest
and common good above their own interests. Here, I would like to reiterate the
need for those in power to make the decisive decision to work for peace and not
for their own interests. Let this be the end of some who profit from the
suffering of all. It is not allowed for half the truth to frustrate the hopes
of the people. Stop using Lebanon and the Middle East for foreign interests.
The Lebanese people must have the opportunity for their own sons to be the
makers of a better future, better than any outside interference”.
Questions & Answers:
Question: I would like to ask you the question of all the Lebanese: Will the Pope
be among us during this year, and he had reiterated yesterday his intention to
visit our country?
Answer: “The Pope assured me, before I started this visit that he intends and
wants to come to Lebanon, very soon. But it remains for us to define the
meaning of the word soon. He wants to come and he will come”.
Question: We, as Lebanese, know that our homeland is more than one country. It is
a message for Pope Saint John-Paul II, and he is the heart and mind of the
world for Pope Benedict, and here is Pope Francis repeating that it is a
homeland and a message. And yet Pope John Paul II has expressed since 1989 his
fear that this Lebanon will disappear, considering Lebanon’s demise as “The
world's greatest regret”. In the Holy See, do you fear the demise of this
Lebanon?
Answer: “This is self-evident when we observe what is happening not only in
Lebanon, but also in the region. Yes, we fear that the future of this country
will not be guaranteed. We call on everyone, and all leaders, whether locally
or internationally, to preserve Lebanon as a message of living together,
brotherhood and hope among religions”.
Question: We are suffering from a multi-sided crisis, the impact of which has been
compounded by the presence of about three million displaced Syrians and
Palestinian refugees. Is the Holy See ready to help us solve this aspect,
especially since many areas in Syria have become safe?
Answer: “We are actively committed, during our talks with
representatives of the countries of the region and international organizations,
to this matter. We share this desire for the return of the displaced. But there
is a difference of ideas regarding the security situation of the displaced
Syrians. We are trying to work on this issue and we have held discussions in
this regard in Baghdad and with the European Union on the reconstruction in
Syria, and with the European Commission for Refugees. But these consultations
were not very fruitful, but we are committed to this issue and will continue
this effort”.
Question: You talked about establishing Lebanon’s special identity. Can you invite
the leaders to a national dialogue to establish this special identity? Is the
Vatican, which played a decisive role in ending the civil war, ready to sponsor
such a dialogue?
Answer: “In fact, diplomatic activity is a dialogue and discourse between
representatives of internationally recognized entities. In this case, we are
talking about Lebanon and its government on one hand, and about the Holy See on
the other. In any dialogue, it is not possible to predict what the outcome will
be, but it is self-evident. We will implicitly and explicitly encourage
political leaders and civil society according to the degree to which we will be
in contact. When we talk about the role of facilitator or mediator between
political actors, we can play this role if there is an invitation to the Holy
See from all parties concerned to play this role. So if there is this desire or
collective invitation, we are ready to play this role”.
Word of Honor:
Monsignor Gallagher wrote the following phrase in the
Presidential Palace ceremonial register:
“I bring to Lebanon the prayers of the Holy Father,
Pope Francis, and his best wishes for the Lebanese who are facing great
challenges, praying to the Almighty God to fortify Lebanon’s steps on the path
of recovery, cooperation and love”.