Pope tells Church in Lebanon: love without fear

– Cindy Wooden, Harissa, Lebanon (CNS) 

After praying at the tomb of the venerated Saint Charbel, in a shrine crowned by a statue of Our Lady of Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV listened to stories of unwavering faith amid war, injustice, and suffering.

The Pope began on December 1 at the tomb of Saint Charbel in the Monastery of Annaya, a place known for its atmosphere of silent prayer, especially in difficult times.

Despite intermittent rain, thousands of people gathered along the road leading to the monastery, throwing rose petals or rice as a sign of welcome.

At the Shrine of Our Lady in Harissa

After entrusting the Catholics of Lebanon and the entire country to the care of San Charbel, Pope Leo went to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. And he listened, as Saint Charbel used to do, to the cries of the people's hearts.

Father Youhanna-Fouad Fahed, a married Maronite Catholic priest and pastor of a parish near the Syrian border, was the first to speak. His village took in Syrian refugees from the war that began in 2011, and was repeatedly attacked by shelling from the Syrian side of the border. In December 2024, when the Syrian civil war officially ended, more refugees arrived.

“The collection bag during Sunday Mass revealed a first silent cry to me: I saw Syrian coins inside: it was an offering mixed with pain,” Father Fahed told the Pope.

Welcoming Syrian refugees

“Alone, feeling the suffering of my people suffocated by fear, misery hidden by the shame of asking for help, I went in search of them,” said the priest. Some told him they had fled to protect their daughters from forced marriage, and many came to Lebanon hoping to emigrate to Europe, even if that meant “entrusting their dreams to migrant smugglers who stole their savings.”.

The only thing Father Fahed asked Pope Leo for was a word of comfort so that people would not feel forgotten and alone.

Sister Dima Chebib: they decided to stay

Sister Dima Chebib is a member of the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and principal of a school in Baalbeck. A place considered by many to be a stronghold of the Hezbollah militia, it has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli bombing over the past year.

While many people fled the town, he said, the priests and religious of the Melkite Catholic diocese “decided to stay and welcome refugee families—both Christian and Muslim—who arrived seeking safety and peace. We shared bread, fear, and hope. We lived together, prayed together, and supported each other in brotherhood and trust.”.

“In the midst of war,” he told the Pope, “I discovered the peace of Christ. And I thank God for this grace to remain, love, and serve until the end.”.

Broken people

Loren Capobres, who came to Lebanon from the Philippines as a domestic worker and now works with the Jesuit Refugee Service, described the people she helps as “people who had left everything behind, broken not only by war, but by betrayal and abandonment.”.

Father Saint Vincent Charbel Fayad, prison chaplain, told the Pope about the repentance and conversion of prisoners who are amazed that someone cares enough to minister to them.

“Even in the darkness of prison cells, the light of Christ never goes out,” Father Fayad said.

The Pope's response: with Mary at the foot of the Cross

Pope Leo responded to the testimonies by saying that, as for Saint Charbel in the 19th century, today “it is by standing with Mary at the foot of Jesus” cross that our prayer—that invisible bridge that unites hearts—gives us the strength to continue hoping and working. Even when we are surrounded by the noise of weapons and when the very necessities of daily life become a challenge.".

Father Toni Elias, a Maronite pastor from Rmaych, near the Israeli border, did not speak with the Pope, but told reporters: “We have basically been living in war for the last two, two and a half years, but never without hope.”.

The Pope's visit, he said, is a confirmation for believers that “what we have experienced”—the fear and hope combined—“has not been in vain.”.

Peace and harmony among all: “that is Lebanon.”

Pope Leo XIII's speech to government and civic leaders on November 30 focused on the Lebanese people and did not mention Israel at all. But Father Elias said it was “beautiful” because peace and harmony between Muslims, Christians, and Druze “are our roots, our culture. That is Lebanon.”.

Upon finding With the bishops, priests, religious, and pastoral workers of the country—a crowd of about 2,000 people—Pope Leo told them: “If we want to build peace, we must anchor ourselves in heaven and set our sights firmly in that direction.”.

“From these roots, love grows.”

“Let us love without fear of losing what we have, and let us give without measure,” said the Pope. “From these roots, strong and deep like those of the cedars, love grows, and with God's help, concrete and lasting works of solidarity come to fruition.”.

Presentation of the Golden Rose: being the perfume of Christ 

Soon we will perform the symbolic gesture of presenting the Golden Rose to this Shrine, said the Pope. “It is an ancient gesture which, among other meanings, exhorts us to be the fragrance of Christ with our lives (cf. 2 Cor 2:14).”.

“When I see this image, I am reminded of the aroma that emanates from Lebanese tables, known for the variety of foods they offer and the strong sense of community that comes from sharing them. It is an aroma composed of thousands of scents, surprising in their diversity and, at times, in their combination. Such is the aroma of Christ,” he said.

Pope Leo planned to end his morning with a private meeting with Catholic patriarchs from across the Middle East.