Pope urges Lebanese to preserve peace, religious harmony

(September 17, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI wrapped up a 3-day pastoral visit to Lebanon, Sunday evening, urging its citizens to nurture and guard its wonderful communion of plurality of religious traditions against those who want to sow disunity. The Pope visited the Middle East country, September 14-16, to sign and present to the Churches of the Middle East his Apostolic Exhortation based on the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East held in the Vatican in 2010. Bidding farewell to Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, the patriarchs, bishops, civil authorities, faithful and children at Beirut’s Rafiq Harriri International airport, the Pope thanked the Lebanese people who he said, “form a beautiful and rich mosaic and who have shown the successor of Peter their enthusiasm by the efforts, both general and specific, of each community. “In these troubled times, the Arab world and indeed the entire world will have seen Christians and Muslims united in celebrating peace, the Pope said. “I thank in particular representatives of the Muslim communities,” the Pope said, adding their presence has greatly contributed to the success of his visit.
While thanking the Lebanese people for their warmth and affection, which he described as “one of those renowned oriental spices which enriches the taste of food,” the Pope wished that the nation may “continue to be a place where men and women can live in harmony and peace with each other, in order to give the world not only a witness to the presence of God,” which was the primary theme of the 2010 Synod of Bishops for the Middle East, “but also a witness to the communion between people, the second theme of the Synod, whatever their political, social, or religious standpoint. The Pope prayed that Lebanon may live in peace and courageously resist all that could destroy or undermine that peace. He hoped the nation will continue to permit the plurality of religious traditions and not listen to the voices of those who wish to prevent it. He hoped that Lebanon will fortify the communion among all her inhabitants, whatever their community or religion, that she will resolutely reject all that could lead to disunity, and with determination choose brotherhood.
As if to underline the point, Pope Benedict then received a warm goodbye from all the representatives of Lebanon’s religions, including the leaders of the most significant branches of the Islamic faith. The Pope departed on his specially chartered papal plane back to Rome.