Members of the Church’s umbrella aid and development organization Caritas Internationalis
have flown to Rome from countries across the globe this week for their annual general
assembly – this year its 60th anniversary. Vatican Radio spoke with the
President of Caritas Lebanon, Fr. Simon Faddoul, to hear his take on the unrest sweeping
his area of the globe. Though upheld by Popes Benedict and John Paul II as a
model of coexistence and democracy in the Middle East, Lebanon has its own share of
domestic problems. The nation remains without a government after Hezbollah and its
allies withdrew from the Cabinet in January and there is uncertainty about how the
Shiite group might respond should the international tribunal investigating the murder
of Lebanon’s former prime minister Rafic Hariri decides to indict members of Hezbollah
for the 2005 bombing. With the turmoil in Middle Eastern countries like Syria so
close to Lebanon’s borders, Tracey McClure asked Fr. Faddoul how concerned are the
Lebanese people that the violence could spill over into their country... listen
to the interview: