Lebanon Crisis: Appeal of the Bishop of the Latins of Beirut, Bishop Cesar Essayan
"In Lebanon, the situation is very serious. After the explosion of the pagers, which affected more than 2,800 people, we are for all intents and purposes back at war." Bishop Cesar calls the new escalation of Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory a huge tragedy, highlighting how this new drama adds to the difficulties Lebanon has been facing for some time now.
Nearly 1,000 dead, more than a million displaced, schools closed and stormed by internally displaced persons, testify to the enormous suffering of an already battered people who needed no further heartbreak. "We are living through a very difficult time, and we are still unable to come to grips with it," the bishop reflects. The explosions are affecting innocent civilians, and in such a situation one cannot distinguish between people, regardless of personal opinions about Hezbollah or the conflict against Israel.
The war comes in an already dramatic situation: there is the political crisis, with a state that has been without a President of the Republic for almost two years; there is the social and economic crisis, already unprecedented before, with 80 percent of the population now living below the poverty line, in an area the size of our Abruzzo region, which had taken in 2 million Syrian refugees.
According to Essayan, it is the people - especially the poorest - who pay the price for this whole situation. And that is why, despite everything, the Vicariate continues to work to help the people. Through the parishes active in the area, it manages to distribute hot meals and medicines that are now unavailable or too expensive.
Bishop Cesar concludes hopefully, "I thank the John Paul II Foundation, the Focolare Movement, and the Italian forces for their crucial support in this dramatic situation. Despite everything, we continue to dream of a better Lebanon and to work for our country."
Cesar Essayan
Bishop of the Latins of Beirut
Foundation representative in Lebanon