Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warmly welcomed Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon, describing the country as more than a historic land: it is a homeland of great saints, a sanctuary of freedom, and a unique model of coexistence where Christians and Muslims live together as equals under a constitutional system rooted in equality and openness to all.
Speaking at Baabda Palace during the official reception for the Pontiff, President Aoun emphasized that “the living duty of humanity is to preserve Lebanon. If this model of free and equal life among people of different faiths falls, there is no other place on Earth that can take its place.”
President Aoun added, recalling remarks made in New York, “If Christians are removed from Lebanon, the balance of the nation collapses, and justice falters. If Muslims are removed, the nation’s equilibrium is disrupted. Should Lebanon falter or transform, the alternative will inevitably be lines of conflict in our region and the world, marked by all forms of intellectual, material, and even bloody extremism. The Holy See has always understood this, which is why Pope Paul VI raised his voice early in defense of Lebanon’s unity and sovereignty.”
Addressing Pope Leo XIV directly, President Aoun said, “We welcome Your Holiness, the fourth successor of Peter, to visit our homeland—a gesture no less eloquent in message and significance. You have come to the land of the churches, which you called martyred, to sow hope in us and transform it into a witness of the Resurrection. Your Holiness, we see in your radiant face the words of your recent encyclical, ‘I Have Loved You’—words that touch a wounded humanity, as if touching the wounds of Christ in history. In our land and region today, there is much suffering and anguish. Their wounds await your blessed touch, yearning to hear your courageous and great voice.”
President Aoun invited the Pope to “tell the world that we will neither die nor flee, that we will not despair nor surrender. We will remain here, breathing freedom, inventing joy, practicing love, embracing innovation, pursuing modernity, and crafting a fuller life each day. Tell the world that we are the sole space of encounter in our entire region—almost in the world itself.”
Lebanon’s president concluded, “With this principle, Lebanon lives in peace with its region, and the region in peace with the world. Until those concerned hear and understand, fear not, Your Holiness. With your prayers and blessings, and with our faith in our rights and homeland, we remain here—children of hope, children of the Resurrection. We remain here, the light and beacon of the East, the salt of its land. We remain here as messengers of love and goodness. From beginning to end, we are disciples of the One who taught us not to fear and to trust in Him, for by His love and peace, He has overcome the world. We are witnesses and actors in this victory.”
Source: Al-Manar Website
