标签： Europe

BEIRUT — While Christian populations across the Middle East have faced significant decline due to conflict and extremist violence, Lebanon presents a striking exception to this regional trend. Despite enduring numerous national crises, Lebanon’s Christian community continues to maintain substantial political influence and religious freedom, creating a unique sanctuary in a region where Christian populations have dwindled dramatically.

The recent visit of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon underscores the Vatican’s recognition of Lebanon’s distinctive religious pluralism and serves as an encouragement for Christians to remain in the region. This stands in stark contrast to neighboring countries like Iraq and Syria, where Christian communities faced devastating persecution following the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 and the subsequent rise of the Islamic State group. IS forces systematically destroyed churches, confiscated properties, and declared caliphates across Iraq and Syria, triggering massive Christian emigration.

In Syria, recent church bombings in Damascus and concerns about the Islamist-led government under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa have prompted many remaining Christians to consider leaving. Yet in Lebanon, Christians demonstrate remarkable resilience, clinging to their ancestral homeland despite economic and political challenges.

Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system, while frequently criticized for political deadlock, has effectively protected minority rights. The country’s political structure mandates that the president be a Maronite Christian, making Lebanon the only Arab nation with a Christian head of state. Christians also hold key positions including army command, central bank leadership, and senior security agency roles.

“More than half the advantage comes from Lebanon’s political system when it comes to Christians,” noted Monsignor Abdo Abou Kassm, director of the Catholic Center for Information. “There is a democratic system where people can express their opinions freely without getting killed, oppressed or sent to exile.”

Christian roots in Lebanon trace back to the faith’s earliest days, with monastic communities historically seeking refuge in mountain caves to avoid persecution. Today, Christians constitute approximately one-third of Lebanon’s 5 million people, representing the highest percentage of Christians in any Middle Eastern nation. The country recognizes 18 religious sects, with Maronite Catholics forming the largest Christian group followed by Greek Orthodox.

The historical ties between Lebanon and the Vatican run deep, with tradition holding that St. Peter established churches along Lebanon’s coast. Two men of Phoenician origin from Tyre were elected popes in the 8th century, and uninterrupted correspondence between the Maronite Church and the papacy dates back to 1215.

Despite Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war that largely pitted Christians against Muslims, the Taif Agreement established equal parliamentary and cabinet representation between Christians and Muslims. Today, Muslims and Christians largely coexist peacefully, with Sunni Muslim cleric Khaldoun Oreimet acknowledging, “Christians are not only a community but an integral part of this land.”

The papal visit occurs amid ongoing regional tensions, including regular Israeli airstrikes and criticism from Christian politicians toward Hezbollah’s military actions. Many Christian leaders, including Maronite Church head Cardinal Bechara Rai, advocate for Lebanese neutrality in regional conflicts, emphasizing the devastating impact of foreign wars on Lebanese soil.

As Christian legislator Camille Dory Chamoun stated, “Our Lebanese identity is as important as our Christian identity. We have seen that we are paying a very high price for other people’s wars on our land.”

A comprehensive BBC investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting Georgian authorities deployed a World War One-era chemical weapon against anti-government demonstrators in late 2024. The findings point to the use of bromobenzyl cyanide, known by its French military designation “camite,” which was allegedly mixed into water cannon systems used to disperse crowds protesting the government’s suspension of EU accession talks.

Victims reported severe and persistent symptoms including chemical burns that couldn’t be washed away, respiratory distress, prolonged coughing, vomiting, and cardiac abnormalities that lasted for weeks. Dr. Konstantine Chakhashvili, a pediatrician who participated in the protests and subsequently conducted a peer-reviewed study, documented these effects in nearly 350 respondents, with almost half reporting symptoms persisting beyond 30 days.

The investigation drew upon multiple sources including whistleblowers from Georgia’s Special Tasks Department (riot police), chemical weapons experts, medical professionals, and internal police inventories. Lasha Shergelashvili, former head of weaponry for the department, revealed he had tested a similarly potent chemical in 2009 and recommended against its use due to its dangerous and persistent effects.

International experts including Professor Christopher Holstege, a leading toxicology and chemical weapons specialist, concluded that the clinical findings were consistent with bromobenzyl cyanide exposure rather than conventional riot control agents like CS gas. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Edwards expressed serious concerns, stating that such practices could violate human rights law if the effects were not temporary as required by international standards.

Georgian authorities dismissed the findings as “absurd” and “deeply frivolous,” maintaining that police acted legally against what they described as “illegal actions of brutal criminals.” The protests, which began on November 28, 2024, have continued regularly despite increased government penalties, with demonstrators accusing the government of election rigging and aligning with Russian interests.

Pope Leo XIV has commenced his inaugural international journey with a strategically significant visit to Beirut, arriving precisely one week following Israeli airstrikes that targeted the Lebanese capital. This carefully orchestrated diplomatic mission underscores the Pontiff’s deliberate approach to global leadership during his initial six months in office.

The Pontiff’s itinerary commenced with a three-day engagement in Turkey, where observers noted his characteristically measured diplomatic style. Unlike his predecessor Pope Francis—known for passionate, extemporaneous remarks that occasionally required clarification from aides—Leo XIV demonstrates methodical precision in both speech and action. His interactions with journalists reflect thoughtful consideration, with each statement appearing deliberately crafted.

During his Turkish leg, the Pope delivered substantive addresses on global conflicts. Alongside President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he criticized powerful nations for leveraging economic and military dominance, warning that such actions jeopardize humanity’s future. At a historic commemoration in Iznik marking 1,700 years since a pivotal Christian council, he unequivocally condemned weaponizing religion to justify violence or fundamentalism.

The Pontiff’s emotional depth surfaced during a profoundly moving moment at Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. As he stood before Turkey’s diminutive Christian minority—who welcomed him with exceptional warmth—visible emotion overcame him, reminiscent of his overwhelmed reaction upon first appearing on St. Peter’s Basilica balcony last May.

In Lebanon, a nation grappling with severe governance challenges, Pope Leo immediately addressed political leaders, urging dedication to public service. His visit carries profound symbolism for Lebanon’s Christian community, which comprises approximately one-third of the population. Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi, leader of the Maronite Catholic Church, expressed profound gratitude, noting the Pontiff’s choice to prioritize a nation ‘still at war’ provides hope to citizens feeling abandoned.

Remarkably, even Hezbollah—the Shia Muslim political-military organization designated as terrorist by several Western nations—extended formal greetings through an open letter expressing ‘deep appreciation’ for the papal visit. Their supporters prominently displayed flags alongside Vatican and Lebanese banners during the Pope’s motorcade procession.

Despite these bridge-building efforts, limitations persist. The Russian Orthodox Church declined participation in ecumenical events in Turkey, while some critics expressed disappointment that the Pope didn’t more forcefully address Turkey’s suppression of opposition voices. In Lebanon, residents from conflict-ravaged southern villages voiced frustration over not being included in the papal itinerary.

As a South Side Chicago native unexpectedly elevated to one of the world’s most influential moral platforms, Pope Leo continues evolving into his dual role as spiritual leader and head of state. While lacking his predecessor’s disruptive urgency, he has demonstrably begun forging his distinctive voice in international diplomacy during this inaugural overseas mission.

Aboard the Papal Plane — During his inaugural airborne press conference en route to Beirut, Pope Leo XIV emphatically reinforced the Vatican’s diplomatic stance regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, declaring a two-state solution as the singular viable path toward achieving lasting justice for both nations. The pontiff’s remarks came during the concluding segment of his first international journey as head of the Catholic Church.

While responding to limited questions from Turkish journalists during the brief flight from Istanbul, Pope Leo revealed details of his private discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. Their dialogue encompassed both the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts, with the Pope acknowledging Turkey’s “significant role” in facilitating preliminary negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. “Although resolution remains elusive,” he noted, “recent developments include fresh, substantive peace proposals.”

Regarding the Middle East, the American-born Pope reiterated the Holy See’s consistent position supporting Palestinian statehood in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza—a framework internationally regarded as the fundamental compromise for regional stability. The Vatican originally extended recognition to Palestine in 2015, but the current Israel-Hamas war has revitalized global momentum for this approach, evidenced by additional countries formalizing recognition during the latest UN General Assembly.

“We acknowledge Israel’s present opposition to this solution,” Pope Leo stated, “yet we perceive it as the exclusive mechanism capable of resolving the enduring conflict. As friends to both parties, the Holy See strives to serve as a mediating voice that fosters mutual understanding and equitable justice.”

The Pope’s commentary contrasted sharply with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s persistent rejection of Palestinian statehood, which his administration believes would effectively reward Hamas and potentially establish an expanded threat along Israel’s borders. Netanyahu recently emphasized that no external pressure would alter Israel’s position.

Notably absent from the Pope’s travel summary was any reference to his visit to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque, his most visible interaction with Turkey’s Muslim community. Instead, he focused on the primary purpose of his Turkish visit: commemorating the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. This historic gathering of bishops in AD 325 produced the Nicaean Creed, which remains a unifying theological foundation for Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant denominations worldwide.

Looking toward future ecumenical collaboration, Pope Leo proposed an unprecedented joint commemoration in Jerusalem for 2033—marking the 2,000th anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. This initiative, welcomed by Orthodox patriarchs, aims to demonstrate renewed Christian unity after centuries of division.