President Michel Aoun: We are all invited to meet the aspirations of His Holiness the Pope and the friends of Lebanon in restoring the values and the essence of our presence, so that we deserve to be and remain the “message nation”.

Pope with relegious leaders in pray
Pope with relegious leaders in pray for Lebanon

This morning, President Aoun followed the proceedings of Pope Francis launching the “Day of Meditation and Prayer for Lebanon” through the television directly from the Vatican. The Holy Father has organized this day with the participation of the heads of the Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical Christian denominations in Lebanon, at a time when prayers are being raised for Lebanon to rise from its current crisis.

The Pope stressed the need to spiritually unite with the leaders of the churches in Lebanon. His Holiness focused on the need to pray for Lebanon to rise from its current dangerous crisis, and show its face to the world, the face of peace and hope.

President Aoun called on Lebanese of different sects to consider this day as a starting point for reviving all the elements that constitute Lebanon’s message in its region and the world. This message is about living harmoniously together, on the basis of recognition of rights, mutual respect, and balance.

President Aoun stated: “His Holiness Pope Francis has asked the world to pray and meditate for Lebanon today, and dedicated it as a special day to our country in the Holy See. We are all invited, each one from his position, to meet the aspirations of His Holiness the Pope and the friends of Lebanon in restoring the values and the essence of our presence, so that we deserve to be and remain the message nation.

President Aoun addressed in particular the Lebanese youth, saying: “I feel the depth of your concern in the face of current difficulties. But I am highly confident, and I will continue to work on the basis of my faith and my conviction that with our collective will, we are able to face challenges, and difficulties. We will emerge from them stronger, no matter how long it takes. Let the world’s attention to Lebanon be an incentive for us to further work on redressing Lebanon from its current crisis, and secure the foundations of its resurrection.”