Pope Francis writes the Christmas letter to the beloved people of Lebanon

Pope Francis wrote a Christmas letter to the Lebanese people encouraging them to trust in God during times of crisis.

“Beloved sons and daughters of Lebanon, I am deeply troubled to see the suffering and anguish that have undermined the native resilience and resourcefulness of the Land of Cedars,” wrote Pope Francis in the letter published on 24 December.

“On this Christmas day, however, 'the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light' - the light that assuages ​​our fears and instills in each of us the sure hope that God's Providence will never abandon Lebanon. and will change this time from sadness to good, ”he wrote.

Lebanon faced an economic and political crisis in 2020 which was exacerbated by a devastating explosion in the port of Beirut on 4 August. The blast killed nearly 200 people, injured another 600 and caused more than $ 4 billion in damage.

Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, leader of Lebanese Maronite Catholics, said last month that the country's instability has "caused a bitter economic crisis, which has increased the rate of poverty and caused the exodus of the population."

In Pope Francis' letter sent to Cardinal Rai, the pope expressed his "affection for the beloved people of Lebanon", adding that he hopes to visit the country as soon as possible.

The pope has appealed to the international community to "help Lebanon distinguish itself from regional conflicts and tensions".

He said it was "painful" for him to see Lebanon "deprived of [its] precious aspirations to live in peace and to continue to be, for our time and our world, a message of freedom and a witness of harmonious coexistence" .

“We help Lebanon to distinguish itself from regional conflicts and tensions. Let's help Lebanon overcome this serious crisis and resume a normal existence ”, wrote Pope Francis in his appeal.

More than half of the Lebanese population lives in poverty, according to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, and tens of thousands of Lebanese have lost their jobs due to the explosion.

Pope Francis urged Lebanese political leaders to use their responsibility to seek the best interest of the public rather than personal gain.

The pope also spread a special Christmas message for South Sudan together with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Rev. Martin Fair, moderator of the Scottish Presbyterian Church, as he did last year at Christmas.

The message to the political leaders of South Sudan reaffirmed a firm commitment to bring peace to the country and the desire of religious leaders to visit South Sudan together.

“We pray this Christmas that you may experience greater trust among yourselves and greater generosity of service to your people. We pray that you know the peace that surpasses understanding in your hearts and in the heart of your great nation, ”the message states.

In his letter to the Lebanese people, Pope Francis encouraged Maronite Catholics to remember that the birth of Christ means that God is with us and to "trust in his presence and fidelity".

"Lebanon is mentioned frequently in the Holy Scriptures, but surely an image from the Psalmist stands out: 'The righteous will blossom like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon,'" he wrote.

“In the Bible, the majestic cedar symbolizes firmness, stability and protection. The cedar symbolizes the righteous who are deeply rooted in the Lord, a sign of beauty and prosperity, who stand and bear abundant fruit even in old age ".

“Like the cedar, you draw deeply from the roots of your common life, to be once again a people of fraternal solidarity. Like the cedar that resists every storm, that you can make the most of the events present to rediscover your identity, which is to bring the sweet scent of mutual respect, coexistence and pluralism to the whole world ”, said Pope Francis.

"Yours is the identity of a people that does not abandon its homes and its heritage, the identity of a people that refuses to give up the dream of those who believed in the future of a beautiful and prosperous country"