Eight months after his installation, the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, visited the friars of Lebanon for the third time, a sign of great closeness to a land so battered by war, economic crisis, and internal political divisions. The opportunity arose from April 27 to 29 with the celebration of the zonal chapter in the convent of Harissa, a series of fraternal meetings to take stock of the situation. Historically, Lebanon has always represented for the Custody of the Holy Land a hinge between the Holy Land and Syria. Currently, there are only eleven friars employed, located in the convents of Tyre, Beirut, Harissa, and Tripoli, which, along with Sidon (a site recently reacquired but not yet activated), form a sort of "Franciscan backbone" from the south to the north of the country.
Upon his arrival, Fr. Francesco was welcomed by Fr. Najib Ibrahim, custodial delegate for Lebanon. The apostolic vicar Msgr. César Essayan also traveled to Harissa to greet the Custos. The first session of the chapter was dedicated to prayer and meditation, done communally in the light of the Apostolic Letter for the Year of Consecrated Life and the experience of Saint Francis. Other sessions were dedicated to the theme of fraternity, spiritual life, and activities.
Awareness emerged that the identity of "brothers and minors" is not a definitive achievement, but a fragile reality that requires constant conversion. In a world dominated by individualism, Franciscan fraternity is called to be a "vital environment in which every member feels welcomed and accepted."
One of the hottest topics concerned the numerical decrease of religious, a vulnerability that forces the Custody into profound discernment to reconsider its presences in Lebanon and elsewhere. However, it clearly emerged that fraternity is not a matter of numbers: one can be many and live as strangers, or few and be a luminous community.
The Franciscan presence in Lebanon is confirmed as a precious resource for the local Church. From some testimonies, it emerged that the friars of the Custody are often perceived as "more credible" because they are less involved in the political dynamics of the country and closer to the real needs of the population. Concrete examples, such as the dispensaries in Beirut and Tripoli, the reception of displaced persons in Tyre, the opening of solidarity agricultural markets in Beirut, various cultural activities, or the sports and cultural center in Tripoli, show a charisma capable of dialoguing with everyone, Christians and Muslims. It is also necessary to keep the social situation in mind: Christians in Lebanon are moving, especially young people in search of cheaper housing, and the mission should follow them, evaluating new presences in areas of demographic development.
Regarding spiritual life, a rediscovery of "hermitages" and the adoption of more charismatic and participatory modes of prayer were proposed, capable of integrating the witness of life and direct confrontation with the Word of God.
The meeting closed with the awareness that no structural reform can succeed without a real conversion of the heart. The challenge for Franciscans in Lebanon is to manifest in their activities an authentic expression of faith, where service to the local Church and care for the brothers become the reflection of a living and daily encounter with Christ.
Fr. Riccardo Ceriani
