Hezbollah on Saturday extended full welcome of Pope Leo XIV, highlighting the country’s unique geographical position and its diverse religious composition as vital for political stability and national security.
In a letter, Hezbollah said it relies on the pontiff’s “stances in rejecting the injustice and aggression to which our homeland, Lebanon, is subjected at the hands of the Zionist invaders and their supporters.”
“We convey our heartfelt welcome and deep appreciation for Your Holiness and for the visit you have dedicated to Lebanon; this beautiful country, blessed by God with its geographical location and its harmonious religious diversity, living together in unity and general consensus, two essential characteristics for the stability of its political system and its national security,” Hezbollah’s letter read.
The Lebanese resistance group recalled late Pope John Paul II, citing his quote on Lebanon: “Not merely a homeland, but a message.” Hezbollah stressed that Lebanon, “with its diverse composition, represents a civilizational bridge between the followers of the two Abrahamic faiths, Christianity and Islam, as well as between the followers of religious, cultural, and secular ideologies all over the world.”
Hezbollah hailed Pope Leo’s directives, saying his messages convey “a firm commitment to human rights and the necessity of respecting and protecting them.”
“The conflicts the world is witnessing today stem, at their root, from the refusal of some to acknowledge or respect the rights of others, whether due to differences in religion, race, or other factors,” the letter added.
In this context, Hezbollah noted that “the decline in respect for human rights among some, whether leaders, entities, parties, sects, states, or organizations, fuels and reinforces tendencies toward greed, control, domination, and resorting to force instead of resorting to justice.”
Tragedy in Gaza
Hezbollah, meanwhile drew the Pope’s attention to the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, stressing that it results from “the Zionist occupiers’ persistent usurpation of the Palestinian people’s rights.”
In this regard, the Lebanese resistance group pointed to the “international system’s refusal to adopt the standards of justice and right in finding a solution to the ongoing conflict in our region between the rightful owners of the land and the usurping occupier.”
Lebanon Suffering
Shifting into Lebanon, Hezbollah said: “Likewise, the Lebanese people endure suffering as a result of the Zionist occupation of parts of their land, and the continued attacks against them and the threat to their security and stability in their country.”
“Undoubtedly, the Zionist occupation enjoys—unfortunately—unlimited support from major powers that share its tendency toward domination and covetousness of our country’s and region’s interests, with utter disregard for the rights of our people and the peoples of the region.”
Hezbollah, in this context, affirmed that “what the Israeli enemy has done in Gaza against the Palestinian people is a clear act of genocide, and that “what is doing in Lebanon is a blatant and unacceptable act of aggression.”
Commitment to Coexistence
The message added that Hezbollah takes the opportunity of the Pope’s visit to reaffirm commitment “to coexistence, to consensual democracy, to maintaining internal security and stability, and to safeguarding national sovereignty by standing with our army and our people to confront any aggression or occupation of our land and country.”
“We also affirm our legitimate right to reject foreign interference that seeks to impose its hegemony on our country and our people, and to usurp our national decision-making power and the authority of our constitutional institutions.”
Hezbollah also made an indirect call to the pontiff to have a clear stance regarding the Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
“If our faith affirms that the followers of Jesus Christ, son of Mary, are messengers of love, upholding rights and respecting humanity, then we rely on Your Holiness’s stance in rejecting the injustice and aggression to which our homeland, Lebanon, is subjected at the hands of the Zionist invaders and their supporters.”
Source: Al-Manar English Website
