Pope Refers to 'Muslim Brothers' on Good Friday, Praises 'Strong Bond of Communion' in Lebanon
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Pope Francis reached out in friendship to "so many Muslim brothers and sisters" during a Good Friday procession dedicated to the suffering of Christians from terrorism, war and religious fanaticism in the Middle East.
The new pontiff, who has rankled traditionalists by rejecting many trappings of his office, mostly stuck to the traditional script during the nighttime Way of the Cross procession at Rome's Colosseum, one of the most dramatic rituals of Holy Week.
With torches lighting the way, the faithful carried a cross to different stations, where meditations and prayers were read out recalling the final hours of Jesus' life and his crucifixion.
This year, the prayers were composed by young Lebanese, and many recalled the plight of minority Christians in the region, where wars have forced thousands to flee their homelands. The meditations called for an end to "violent fundamentalism," terrorism and the "wars and violence which in our days devastate various countries in the Middle East."
Francis, who became pope just over two weeks ago, chose, however, to stress Christians' positive relations with Muslims in the region in his brief comments at the end of the ceremony.
Standing on a platform overlooking the procession route, Francis recalled Benedict XVI's 2012 visit to Lebanon when "we saw the beauty and the strong bond of communion joining Christians together in that land and the friendship of our Muslim brothers and sisters and so many others."
"That occasion was a sign to the Middle East and to the whole world, a sign of hope," he said.
Thousands of people packed the Colosseum and surrounding areas for the nighttime procession, holding candles wrapped in paper globes as Francis sat in silent prayer as a giant torch-lit crucifix twinkled nearby. Some in the crowd had Lebanese flags around their shoulders in an indication of the special role Lebanese faithful played in this year's procession.
Lebanon has the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle East — nearly 40 percent of the country's 4 million people, with Maronites the largest sect.
30 March 2013, 10:41
56
Bruce Lee. You are wrong. I am tired of this anti-christian propaganda.
Get the new facts Kiddo. Christians today are around 40%. And are the most educated if u follow the university enrolment rates. Chiites today are no more getting 6.61 children per woman, they are getting 2.1 on average. Also get in your mind that most emigration today is from moslems.
https://now.mmedia.me/lb/en/specialreports/lebanese-demographics-today
So get it out of your mind this idea that Lebanese christians will follow the fate of iraki christians. Our brothers Lebanese christians are here to stay, they have their region, they represent more than half the GDP in lebanon, they are the most educated, and they are not arming themselves because they beleive in the state. But nobody should mess around with them, and try to get them to leave, they will break his arm.
30 March 2013, 12:05
56
your source in wikipedia is written by ahmed ibrahim a known antichristian propagandist. In addition, your source is for 1991, before the big migration of chiites in the 90s and the 2000s where around 600,000 lebanese emigrated, most of them chiites.
My source is actual statistics from lebanese civil states files. Not from a propagandist. And if you read carefully, it is a comparison between 1970 and 2009. It is not "data from the 50s" like you dismiss it.
So I ask you to read carefully the study and rejoice because:
1- Christians are a major part of lebanese.- despite the propaganda.
2- 2.1 children per woman for chiites in 2009 as opposed to 6.6 in 1970. You know what that means? Our brothers chiites who have been dragging lebanon down for years will slip out of poverty and create a new middle class.
Rejoice and cherish the christian community. Irak kicked out their christians and look at what a sorry excuse of a country they became.
30 March 2013, 14:02
41
ya brucelee, why dont you give it a rest with all your nonsense...it is Easter weekend!!!
30 March 2013, 15:09
02
I'll go with the CIA figures. Current Lebanese Population: 4,131,583 (July 2013 est.)
Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Coptic, Protestant),
other 1.3%
30 March 2013, 16:04
11
M14 sponsors Now. It doesnt mean that M14 wants to blow the christian numbers out of proportion.
The CIA factbook says the same thing. About 40% are christians in Lebanon. (see the post of Beiruti below).
Those who underreport the number of christians in lebanon are either 1-christian haters or 2-Christian expats who want to justify to their small soul why they left their country for a miserable existance abroad.
30 March 2013, 16:22
31
ouwette brother, ma badda hal2ad. i dont think bruce is a christian hater, he is just reading wrong statistics written by christian hating propagandists.
And lebanon is a MIXED country for moslems and christians who live together as brothers.
30 March 2013, 16:49
00
As a non-Christian and a Shiite, you couldn't be wrong. We are so sick and tired of you fundamentalists, from Iraq and now to Syria and this forum, fundamentalists are blatantly killing and attacking minorities, whether it be Shiite Mosques or Chaldean Churches or now the so-called "religious courts" in Aleppa. Christians are 40% and in my opinion I wish they were 90%, they are the only buffer form this wave of fantacism that is taking over. Anyway they represent 50% of the power in this country, and in the absence of any census, I say the Muslims are 40% --- how's that?
31 March 2013, 00:48
11
Happy Easter to all and to the hope that one day we all stand united as Lebanese and not segregated as sectarians. Long live Lebanon and the people of Lebanon.
13 April 2013, 12:34
11
I would say that Lebanese are the worse people in the world. They are gready,liers,cheaders,egoists,selfish,they are the devils on this earth and if there will not be Lebanese in this world the World would have been much more nicer you are like your nighbors in the South the same blood.
14 April 2013, 12:35
00
wallah your are right, muslim and Christians are all LEBANESE. religion is a personal belief no body Else business what you practice in your home and what I practice in my home is my business. 100% correct. Underneath we all bleed the same color blood. I hope lebanon gets its act together the lebanese diaspora would love that around the world and lebanon will flourish with tourism and love.
15 April 2013, 02:44
00
What a horrible thing to say Robert. Very racist comment. Have you not learnt that there are good and bad in every nationality. Sad your views are very negative.
