NNA - His Holiness, Pope Francis, met the President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, this morning in the Vatican.

Pope Francis emphasized that Lebanon has a special place in his prayers and is at the center of his concerns, despite the tense international situation on more than one level, “Lebanon does not lose the sight of concerns of the Holy See”.

The Pope noted he was sadly aware of the difficult economic and social conditions in Lebanon, and stressed that “Lebanon, with all its sons, Christians and Muslims, should not abandon the values of authenticity based on respect”.

“It is necessary to preserve the Christian presence in the East, as well as a duty to preserve living together in Lebanon, a formula that made it a mission” the Pope added.

The Holy Father also affirmed that he strives with everyone in the world to preserve this homeland, which the Holy See has always considered a message and a model.  

Moreover, the Pope expressed his insistence more than ever, as he repeatedly said, to visit Lebanon to revive hope in it.

“Soon I will visit Lebanon. This is a decision I have taken, because Lebanon remains, despite anything, a model for the world” Pope Francis asserted.

For his part, President Aoun thanked the Pope for receiving him, especially in this delicate circumstance at the international level in general and Europe in particular, as a result of the repercussions of the war in Ukraine.  

The President also thanked Pope Francis for his great love for Lebanon, which he showed on more than one occasion, especially by dedicating an entire day to prayer and reflection for Lebanon in the Holy See on the first of last July, sent by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Secretary of Relations between States, Monsignor Paul  - Richard Gallagher in less than a year to Lebanon to stand by his people in the difficult circumstances they are going through.  

President Aoun said “The Lebanese thank your holiness with the best expressions of gratitude and appreciation for keeping up with Lebanon's conditions, and for your solidarity with its people during the unprecedented series of crises it is going through”.  

“The Lebanese do not forget the in-kind and cash assistance provided by the Holy See directly or through church institutions and associations, especially to the student groups among them” the President added.

Moreover, President Aoun stressed the importance of the attention His Holiness attaches to his follow-up and the Holy See to everything that helps in strengthening stability in Lebanon and enabling it to re-play its role in its surroundings and the world.

The President considered that Lebanon is suffering greatly, “And it is in dire need of your holiness to continue supporting it. Lebanon is going through a difficult stage, but we will inevitably defeat it with the will of his sons combined”.  

The President told Pope Francis that “We do not want Lebanon, which is in the midst of conflicts and wars, to pay a price for what is happening in the region, and thanks to your care and the insistence of its sons to rise, it is not left to his destiny”.

On the other hand, President Aoun tackled the situation in the Middle East in general and the situation in Lebanon in particular, and what contributed to the exacerbation of crises that reached their climax as a result of decades of wrong financial management, and the repercussions of the Syrian displacement at a time when Western countries were providing aid to them and not providing such aid to the Lebanese.  

The President stressed that this issue contributed to the accumulating burdens on Lebanon, in addition to the spread of the Corona pandemic and the explosion of the Beirut port, and the negative repercussions caused by all these successive crises.  

“We have recently witnessed a massive wave of emigration abroad, affecting the country's elites, which poses a threat to identity and pluralism in Lebanon and contributes to weakening the Christian presence in the East” President Aoun indicated.

The meeting also addressed the work that Lebanon is doing to develop a plan for recovery and launch it for reform, “In support of the steadfastness of those who, despite everything, are still clinging to the land of our ancestors, the land that Christ and the apostles trodden, and in preparation for the transition to reconstruction”

“Lebanese, Christians and Muslims, are suffering from the consequences of these crises, and they are determined together to defeat them” the President affirmed.

The President then asked the Pope to continue to support Lebanon in international and regional forums, and the Pope promised to do that. Then, President Aoun renewed the official invitation for Pope Francis to visit Lebanon, which he had previously addressed to him, saying: “The suffering Lebanon looks forward to your visit, as a living proof of its resurrection. Your Holiness has visited most of the countries in the region with the exception of Lebanon. We hope that your visit to our land will be realized as soon as possible. Here, I can only thank Your Holiness for your approval of the beatification of the parents Leonard Melki and Thomas Saleh, who will be the first blessed martyrs of Lebanon in the modern era, who were martyred during the First World War”.

President Aoun and the accompanying delegation arrived in the Vatican at 10 a.m. today, Rome time, where he was received, by the ceremonies followed in the Holy See.  

The Holy See greeted President Aoun, and accompanied him to the papal pavilion in the Pontifical Palace.

Upon the arrival of President Aoun to the office of the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis went out to receive him, and they both entered the office, where they held a half an hour retreat.

Afterwards, President Aoun and Pope Francis were joined by members of the official delegation accompanying President Aoun, whom His Holiness shook hands one by one, and greeted them.

Then, gifts were exchanged between President Aoun and Pope Francis. The President presented the Supreme Pontiff with a replica of the first book that was printed in Lebanon and the East, at the St. Qozhaya Monastery Press in the Holy Valley, which is the Book of Psalms, in addition to pure Lebanese honey, from various regions.  

As well as from the gardens of the Presidential Palace, confirming what was mentioned in the Bible that Lebanon remains the land of pure honey.

For his part, the Supreme Pontiff presented President Aoun with the Peace Medal, on which he wrote that peace is based on the two pillars of justice and truth, in addition to a set of recent books that he issued while he was at the head of the church, which includes general messages he addressed to the world, and apostolic messages.  

The Pope also handed the President a copy of the document of human brotherhood that he signed with the Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, and a book that includes the prayers of Pope Francis for the healing of the world, which he wrote and followed during the peak of the outbreak of the Corona.

Then, memorial photos were taken and the Holy Father presented the delegation members with souvenirs, before the Pope bid farewell to President Aoun at the door of his office.

President Aoun and the accompanying delegation met with the Secretary of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in the presence of the Secretary of Inter-State Relations, Monsignor Paul-Richard Gallagher.

The current difficult situations in Lebanon and the region, and ways to develop bilateral relations between Lebanon and the Holy See in various fields through joint cooperation were deliberated.  

The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister, Abdullah Bou Habib, Lebanon's Ambassador to the Holy See, Dr. Farid Elias El-Khazen, and advisers Rafic Chelala, Osama Khashab and Raymond Tarabay.

During the meeting with Parolin, President Aoun discussed the situation in Lebanon, stressing that Lebanon is going through a difficult stage, but is continuing to complete all the elements of the recovery process, “Regardless of the obstacles, leading to the importance of conducting the constitutional elections on time, the closest of which is the parliamentary elections next May”.

President Aoun also emphasized that “It is time for everyone, especially those who take Lebanon as a platform for their interests, to be convinced that Lebanon must return to playing its role as a bridge of convergence, and not a source of crises”.  

“There is a responsibility on the international community to carry out its duties in preserving a homeland that is recognized by all, especially since Lebanon's crises are intertwined and complex between internal causes and affected by the storms of surrounding conflicts and their sometimes devastating results” President Aoun continued.

The President also reiterated the importance of the comprehensive Christian role in the Arab world and the world, and stressed that “Lebanon cannot bear the burden of the displaced Syrians and their failure to return to their country, especially since several areas in it have become safe, amid the world's silence”.  

The President referred to the social consequences that result from the continued presence of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and the fear that their stay will change the demographic balance of the Lebanese composition or even the identity of Lebanon.  

“We are looking forward with high confidence for the visit of His Holiness the Pope to Lebanon” President Aoun said.

For his part, Cardinal Parolin thanked President Aoun for the reception accorded to him on the day he visited Lebanon, as delegated by the Pope, following the Beirut explosion, and for receiving Monsignor Gallagher recently.  

“I read with great interest the memorandum that you handed to Monsignor Gallagher, and we confirm with you what you mentioned that Lebanon must remain a free, independent and sovereign country, and the Holy Father always recommends the necessity of fraternal and human coexistence in this country” Cardinal Parolin said.

In addition, Cardinal Parolin indicated that stability in Lebanon would contribute to the stability of the region.

In response to President Aoun's suggestion that the Holy See supports the establishment of a national fund for Lebanon in cooperation with the World Food Program (WFP), Cardinal Parolin expressed the Holy See's understanding of the proposal and its welcome.

“We will study this request with interest and positivity” Parolin said.

Cardinal Parolin had also welcomed President Aoun's affirmation that the parliamentary elections will be held on time, and said: "We have many reasons to stand by you, which His Holiness the Pope stresses on more than one occasion”.

At the end of the meeting, the President and the accompanying delegation bid farewell to the warm ceremony they received.—Presidency Press Office 

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