Vatican: Pope to Visit Lebanon Despite Tensions
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Lebanon next month will go ahead as scheduled, the Vatican said on Monday, despite tensions in the country linked to the raging conflict in Syria.
"The preparations for the visit are going ahead without any uncertainty on the part of the Vatican," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters.
Lombardi cited as evidence the September 14-16 trip would go ahead the fact that the pope's special car -- the "popemobile" -- was on its way to Beirut.
Lebanon has been battling to contain an eruption of violence triggered by events in Syria, including a spate of mass kidnappings of Syrians over the abduction of a man called Hassan al-Meqdad by armed rebels in Syria.
Pope Benedict XVI is expected to bring a message of peace for the Middle East on his three-day trip.
The 85-year-old German pontiff is set to meet with various religious leaders in multi-faith Lebanon and emphasize in particular the need for peaceful coexistence between Christian and Muslim communities in the Middle East.
20 August 2012, 14:28
010
nice... I hope the pope can knock some sense into the feuding tribes of lebanon...
20 August 2012, 14:53
09
I hope so too but if it goes bad while he is there, Lebanon will forever be frowned upon by the world. So let's just behave like adults and don't be embarrassing. Honestly the recent events in Lebanon aren't the Lebanon I remember only a few years ago :-(
20 August 2012, 17:27
07
Thank you for your decision. We need your presence more than a lot of people in the world. You can make a difference.
21 August 2012, 12:01
02
Welcome to Lebanon your Eminence at this point in time Lebanon needs people like you to visit.Shab dont worry buddy the Meqdad wont even come near the pope they now better ..
21 August 2012, 14:09
00
Most welcome Pope , but please please , start rectifying this coexistence non sense . We don't want a war each 10 - 20 years just to prove your coexistence theories .. If Christians are to survive the non stop Barbaric invasions , give them a real independent state ...
