MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –
Source: The Holy See in Italian
Pascale RizkThe great statue of Saint Charbel on the heights of the village of Hammada
by Father Gabriel Hachem*Beirut (Agenzia Fides) – Since the outbreak of the civil war in 1975, Lebanon, a small Middle Eastern country, has never known peace and stability. The population, including Christians, has resisted and continues to resist. But since October 7 and the beginning of the war in Gaza and Israel, considering the conflict with Hezbollah, which holds the fate of the country in its hands and decides on war and peace, the situation has become hellish, not only in the southern region, near the border with Israel, but throughout Lebanon, with an economic and political paralysis that risks endangering the very identity of the country. Lebanon has been without a President for almost two years, an institutional position that in the Lebanese system belongs to Christians and represents a symbol of coexistence and respect for plurality. The government has also resigned, the ministries are only dealing with current affairs at a time when the country needs decisions more than ever for its future, its identity and its stability. The regional and international political stakes complicate the Lebanese cause and leave the population in uncertainty and anguish. Young people, both Muslims and Christians, are rushing to leave Lebanon to seek refuge and a better future abroad. Parents, who often have no economic means of their own due to the financial and banking crisis that hit the country almost five years ago, expect help and solidarity from their children or from charities and NGOs to buy medicine and meet basic survival needs. Despite attempts, Vatican diplomacy has not succeeded in convincing the leaders of the Christian political parties to find an agreement on a presidential candidate and put an end to the current chaos. The various Churches are working through their social and charitable associations to support the population. But above all, the Lebanese lack a sign of hope that heralds the end of corruption, violence, war and instability. In the meantime, those who have not managed to emerge from the financial crisis are struggling to survive, while others who have managed to regularize their financial situation and adapt to dollarization are taking advantage of the opportunity to relax by seeking relaxation and fresh air in the mountains.Summer is a good time for families divided by emigration to gather, but this year even this beautiful custom has been turned upside down. Those who had come from far away to support their families and spend the holidays with them had to leave in a hurry because of the situation and following calls from Western countries to leave Lebanon, which risks becoming a theater of war. Others have taken their families abroad to give their loved ones a moment of rest and respite. Anxiety reigns and uncertainty seems to have been crowned queen of the situation. Fear reigns everywhere and over everyone. Parents who have remained with their children and young people are anxious about school and university fees, the exorbitant cost of medical insurance and medicines, the cost of living, the war, the destruction, the unknown… However, on August 2, the beatification of Patriarch Douaïhy was a moment of prayer, hope and serenity. May the Lebanese saints and Our Lady of Lebanon watch over this country in this moment of extreme difficulty. (Agenzia Fides 13/8/2024)* priest, theologian of the Université Saint-Esprit of Kaslik, member of the International Theological CommissionShare:
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.