Ahead of the second anniversary of the fatal explosion at the Beirut port, Pope Francis prayed on Wednesday for “justice and truth” in Lebanon.
“My thoughts are with the families of the victims of that disastrous event and with the dear Lebanese people,” the pope said on Aug. 3.
“I pray that each one may be consoled by faith and comforted by justice and truth, which can never be hidden.”
Pope Francis wished for Lebanon to undergo “a rebirth” as he concluded his public audience in Paul VI Hall. The Middle Eastern nation has struggled in recent years with a terrible financial crisis and an absence of stable governance.
“I hope that Lebanon, with the help of the international community, will continue on the path of ‘rebirth,’ remaining faithful to its vocation of being a land of peace and pluralism, where communities of different religions can live in fraternity,” Pope Francis said.
On August 4, Lebanon will observe a National Day of Mourning to commemorate the anniversary of the Beirut port explosion. A memorial Mass for the victims is also anticipated from Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, the patriarch of the Maronites.
The explosion left 7,000 people injured and 218 dead. According to the World Bank, the explosion destroyed residences, schools, churches, and medical facilities, causing more than $3.8 billion in material damage to the nation’s capital.
According to a priest in Lebanon, many Lebanese people are unhappy that they “still do not know the truth” about what transpired two years after the terrible explosion.
“The memory of the event is causing so much suffering, coming on top of the country’s severe economic crisis, the worst in its history, and general distrust towards politicians,” Father Michel Abboud, the president of Caritas Lebanon, told Asia News.
“The Lebanese people are accustomed to wars and suffering, but today trust between people has been lost and only faith in God seems to have remained,” he said.
At his first Wednesday general audience since June 22, Pope Francis prayed for Lebanon. His reflections on his week-long visit to Canada, which he claimed opened “a new page” in the relationship between the Catholic Church and indigenous peoples, took up the most of the audience time.
The pope was expected to travel to Lebanon in June, but the papal trip to Beirut was postponed for “health reasons.” The Vatican has not said when a future papal trip to Lebanon might take place.