Report: Pope’s Lebanon Visit May Be Postponed over Dangerous Local, Regional Developments
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
The Vatican has completed with the Lebanese authorities the program of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Lebanon in September, reported the daily Ad Diyar on Sunday.
It added however that Vatican authorities are “beginning to study the possibility of postponing the visit over the dangerous situation in Lebanon and the region.”
The Vatican said in July that the pope will bring a message of peace for the Middle East on his three-day trip to Lebanon.
The 85-year-old German pontiff will meet with a variety of religious leaders during his visit to multi-faith Lebanon, which will be his 24th foreign trip since he was elected pope in 2005 and is one of his most sensitive missions.
The pope is expected to emphasize the need for peaceful coexistence between Christian and Muslim communities in the Middle East, as well as caution against the growing exodus of Christian minorities from the birthplace of Christianity.
The pope will begin his visit on September 14 with a trip to the Basilica of Saint Paul in Harissa.
On September 15 he will meet with President Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Najib Miqati and then go on to meet Muslim religious leaders.
He will then visit the Armenian Catholic patriarchate in Bzommar and meet with young people in front of the Maronite patriarchate in Bkirki.
The centerpoint of the visit is expected to be the pope's message of peace at an open-air mass on September 16 at the City Center Waterfront in Beirut, which will be followed by a visit to the Syrian Catholic patriarchate.
12 August 2012, 15:24
20
His Holiness is most needed here in these rough days. Please share with us some of the difficult moments we're going through.
12 August 2012, 15:37
32
This trip should not be postponed...dont let the evil cowards dictate what you do...in spite of what is going on in the region, it would send out an even stronger message now if this visit happens.
12 August 2012, 18:35
12
Neither in the gaza strip nor in bethlehem are the christians being hounded, i know plenty of them and this accusation that you wrote is completly incorrect. Israel on the other hand has been caught sending in mossad agents disguised as muslims trying to scare away christians. People like you will even claim that the tens of churches (at least) demolished by israel or turned in to barns and nightclubs for jews is a sign of protection of christian rights. The hundreds of thousands of Palestinian christians ethnicly cleansed from palestine by israel is also a sign of tolerance by israel. And the christians that are spat at by jews in occupied jerusalem in front of the israeli army and police is also tolerance by israel. When zionists vandalize churches that is tolerance and when they ban palestinian christians from visiting their own capital, that too is tolerance.
12 August 2012, 20:11
13
Are you serious? did u fall on your head? how can u talk about wahabism in light of samaha's story? cant you see that this criminal syrian regime is seeking to create a civil war in lebanon? and you are still talking about wahabism? come on man...
12 August 2012, 20:14
21
Your holiness, everyone who loves lebanon loves you. Christians and moslems alike. Dont let Lebanon haters dictate your projects. We are waiting for you.
13 August 2012, 03:26
00
Good riddance. The last thing Lebanon needs are more religious figures, spreading the superstitions and imagined ramblings of their bronze age war-god of choice.
It is because of this that we haven't moved forward in over 50 years. Time to grow up and actually contribute something to the world. Yalla.
