(Beirut/t.b.m.) – From June 25 to 28, the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, visited the friars in the region of St. Paul, a recently created entity of the Orders of Friars Minor that, although still subordinate to the Custody of the Holy Land, governs the convents and communities in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan with a great degree of autonomy. Father Pizzaballa spent the first day with the friars in Beirut. In the afternoon he visited the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, and brought the day to an end with a Mass for the Italian community, which was also attended by the Ambassador to Lebanon, Giuseppe Morabito. A dinner in the garden of the convent followed the celebration of the liturgy.
On Sunday June 26, accompanied by the Regional Minister Father Halim Noujein, Father Custos travelled to the north of Syria to visit the convent of Latakyeh and the villages in the valley of the Orontes, which were recently the scene of military operations ordered by the Government in Damascus to quell the anti-government protests, which have also spread to this region on the Turkish border.
The audience granted by the President of Lebanon, Michel Sleiman, was of great interest. The Custos was accompanied by the Regional Minister and a delegation of friars, consisting of: the Regional Bursar, Father Romualdo Fernandez; the General Secretary, Father Shadi Bader; Father Eduardo Tamer, member of the Council; Father Toufic Bou Merhi, Guardian of the Beirut convent; Father Angelico Pilla, Guardian of Harissa; Brother Pierre Richa, from the community at Harissa and Father Hanna Jallouf, parish priest of Knayeh, in northern Syria.
Father Pizzaballa briefly explained the history of the presence of the Friars Minor in the Holy Land and in the Middle East to the President, dwelling on the areas of their action and on the dimension of inter-religious dialogue which began as early as 1219, when St. Francis of Assisi met the Sultan Malek al-Kâmel in Damietta at the time of the Crusades. President Sleiman touched upon the role that the Catholic Church plays and must play for peace in the Middle East. As friars from Syria were present, the Head of State wished to be informed on the current situation across the border.
The day continued with a short visit to the Latin Apostolic Vicar of Beirut, Archbishop Paul Dahdah. The friars then went to Harissa, for a moment of fraternity which continued that evening in the coastal city of Tripoli, with a small party for the end of the school year of the local Terra Sancta school.
Father Custos ended his short stay in Lebanon with a meeting with the Maronite Patriarch, Mons. Bechara Boutros Raï. The religious mentioned above took part in the meeting and were also joined by Brother Aquilino Alvarez Castillo, responsible for the house in Harissa. Patriarch Raï was interested in the situation of the friars of the Custody and of the Christians in the Holy Land. He also expressed his esteem for the Franciscans and said he was happy to offer any kind of collaboration whatsoever.
On Sunday June 26, accompanied by the Regional Minister Father Halim Noujein, Father Custos travelled to the north of Syria to visit the convent of Latakyeh and the villages in the valley of the Orontes, which were recently the scene of military operations ordered by the Government in Damascus to quell the anti-government protests, which have also spread to this region on the Turkish border.
The audience granted by the President of Lebanon, Michel Sleiman, was of great interest. The Custos was accompanied by the Regional Minister and a delegation of friars, consisting of: the Regional Bursar, Father Romualdo Fernandez; the General Secretary, Father Shadi Bader; Father Eduardo Tamer, member of the Council; Father Toufic Bou Merhi, Guardian of the Beirut convent; Father Angelico Pilla, Guardian of Harissa; Brother Pierre Richa, from the community at Harissa and Father Hanna Jallouf, parish priest of Knayeh, in northern Syria.
Father Pizzaballa briefly explained the history of the presence of the Friars Minor in the Holy Land and in the Middle East to the President, dwelling on the areas of their action and on the dimension of inter-religious dialogue which began as early as 1219, when St. Francis of Assisi met the Sultan Malek al-Kâmel in Damietta at the time of the Crusades. President Sleiman touched upon the role that the Catholic Church plays and must play for peace in the Middle East. As friars from Syria were present, the Head of State wished to be informed on the current situation across the border.
The day continued with a short visit to the Latin Apostolic Vicar of Beirut, Archbishop Paul Dahdah. The friars then went to Harissa, for a moment of fraternity which continued that evening in the coastal city of Tripoli, with a small party for the end of the school year of the local Terra Sancta school.
Father Custos ended his short stay in Lebanon with a meeting with the Maronite Patriarch, Mons. Bechara Boutros Raï. The religious mentioned above took part in the meeting and were also joined by Brother Aquilino Alvarez Castillo, responsible for the house in Harissa. Patriarch Raï was interested in the situation of the friars of the Custody and of the Christians in the Holy Land. He also expressed his esteem for the Franciscans and said he was happy to offer any kind of collaboration whatsoever.