La Salle College in Cairo Hosts the 5th Conference of Francophone Catholic Schools in the Middle East

They are 400,000 students—half of them in Lebanon—deeply rooted in Francophonie, immersed in a culture of unrivaled richness and diversity. Teaching these 400,000 students and instilling in them the values of coexistence—while half of them envision their future beyond the Arab Francophone world where they grew up—is one of the most ...

The Vatican Calls for a Unified Easter Date

During the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed from January 18 to 25, Pope Francis voiced his support for unifying the date of Easter. "The Catholic Church is willing to accept the date that everyone agrees on: a date of unity," he stated. Catholics and Orthodox Christians traditionally celebrate Easter on different dates due to ...

Are We on the Brink of Another Bloody Sunday in the South?

A new call has been issued for Sunday to reclaim villages where Israel maintains a presence. The impulse driving Southerners back to their villages could be seen as undeniably noble—if it were spontaneous. It carries a moral legitimacy, rooted in their deep attachment to the land and the duty to honor civilians whose bodies remain buried beneath ...

Eastern Patriarchs: The Challenge of Unity

The unity of Christians has never been more vital amid the evolving realities of the Middle East. The “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity,” observed from January 18 to 25, offers a timely opportunity to reaffirm this essential mission. This annual tradition boasts a complex history. It originated from the 19th-century ecumenical movement aimed ...

Is Flexibility on Lebanon’s Prison Crisis Looming?

Although the issue was not explicitly mentioned during the joint press conference between Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, and Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, the matter of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons – an intersection of humanitarian, judicial and political concerns – was reportedly discussed during their ...

A Farewell to Arms

A farewell to arms is the essential condition for a return to normal political life in Lebanon, whether or not a new president is elected on January 9. Hezbollah must reinvent itself and relinquish all military autonomy. After everything that has happened, a return to the status quo ante is out of the question, and the Speaker of Parliament must ...

Christmas at the Southern Border: A Beacon of Hope

In a Lebanon cautiously stabilized by the implementation of UN Resolution 1701 and the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Paolo Borgia chose to celebrate Christmas in Rmeish (14,000 inhabitants) and Kley’a (2,500 inhabitants), two Maronite border towns that faced immense hardships during the 14-month war ...

The Wall of Time

It is from the night that the Savior came, and it is in the night that He was born. He came from the night of time, as He is the eternal “Son of the Father,” according to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, and He was born in the night, as witnessed by the shepherds and as the Scriptures say: “While gentle silence enveloped all things, and ...

The Tale of the Christmas Coins

Once upon a time, in a small village nestled in the snow-covered mountains of Lebanon, there lived a group of playful and curious children. This peaceful and friendly village was known for a special tradition that occurred every Christmas: the mysterious “Christmas Coins.” The villagers, gruff yet somewhat mystical, spoke of these ...

Syrian Christians Who Took on the Challenge of Trust

Introduced by Vincent Gelot, L'Œuvre d'Orient's representative in Syria and Lebanon, the conference featured addresses by Archbishop Jacques Mourad, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Homs, Hama and Debek, Sister Jihane, a member of the Soeurs de Besançon (Sisters of Besançon) and director of Damascus' largest Christian school, and Salim Safir, ...

Near Tyre, a Shiite Maqam Dedicated to Saint Peter

The medieval castle of Chameh, near Tyre, and the “maqam” of Shimon el-Safa that it houses are among the archaeological treasures for which Lebanon requested “enhanced protection” from UNESCO against the risks of war. However, the ground fighting in November between Hezbollah and the Israeli Army overran the request in question. The ...

Is the Ceasefire Owed to the Miraculous Medal?

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on November 27, coinciding with the Latin Church’s feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. For many, this timing is seen as a divine gift, strengthening their faith that the end of hostilities was heaven-sent. The Chapel of the Miraculous Medal on Rue du Bac in Paris holds a deep ...

Lebanon, the Unloved

As “good” Lebanese, we celebrate our independence amidst chaos and bombs. An entire book could be written about how we became Lebanese, after being fragments of many other identities. I could recount my own journey of rediscovering memory and identity—borrowing the title of an overlooked book by John Paul II—how I stopped ...

Caramel, Candy, and Chocolate: The Spectacle of Barbarism

Once again, I find myself watching on television, weary and disheartened, as the rubble of a home targeted by an Israeli strike lies collapsed over its occupants. This time, the scene is in Ain Yaacoub (Akkar) — a modest two-story house, typical of rural areas, its construction unfinished, with parts still bare cement due to a lack of funds. ...

The Potential for a Civilization

“In recent days, there has been much talk of war, civilization and the need to defend it. I am not convinced that one defends civilization by sowing barbarism oneself. Yet, I am certain of this: the very prospect of civilization is at stake in Lebanon. It is about the ability of men and women of different origins and faiths to coexist on the ...

What Naim Qassem Still Hasn’t Grasped

It is a fact: naivety, egocentrism and various underestimations are among the unpredictable elements that shape the course of history. A clear example of this can be seen in the speech delivered this week by the new Secretary General of Hezbollah. What Naim Qassem has yet to grasp is that he is not alone in Lebanon, and many Lebanese do not share ...

The Maronite Church, Prisoner of Its Own Memory

For some Lebanese Christians, the 1860 massacres remain an open wound — a persistent thorn in their collective memory. The painful recollection of this brutality resurfaced during the canonization of the Massabki brothers, who were martyred in Damascus on the night of July 9-10, 1860. How did it come to pass that over 20,000 Christians — half ...

Canonization of the Massabki Brothers: A Triumph of Blood Ecumenism

Today, October 20, the universal Church has been graced with the addition of 14 new figures of holiness, including eleven martyrs: eight Franciscan religious and three Maronite laymen, the brothers Francis, Abdel Mohti, and Raphael Massabki.  All were brutally killed in Damascus during the night of July 9 to 10, 1860, for their refusal to ...

Interfaith Plea to the UN: Save Lebanon

Lebanese religious communities unanimously appealed to the UN Security Council yesterday, urging it to address the crisis in Lebanon and to rescue the country from Israel’s grip by imposing an immediate ceasefire. This call followed a broad interfaith assembly held in Bkerke, convened at the invitation of the Maronite Patriarch and attended by ...

Between the Possible and the Illusion of the Possible

By waging a “low-intensity” war against Israel, Hezbollah’s slain leader Hassan Nasrallah made a grave miscalculation, the consequences of which the entire nation of Lebanon is now bearing. The pressing question is how to convince Hezbollah to accept the failure of its war. For the moment, the group remains in denial, even though, as ...

'Know Thyself, Lebanon!'

“Know thyself.” This timeless Socratic precept, fundamental to any individual in pursuit of wisdom, holds equally true for nations. By disregarding it, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, met his demise. Convinced he had secured full control over the Lebanese state, and by leading Lebanon into a war in support of Hamas on ...

Lebanon's Unity Tested by the 'Unity of Fronts'

Lebanon has delivered a powerful lesson in humanity and unity to Israel, Iran and Hezbollah through the wave of solidarity, empathy and compassion that followed the Israeli attacks on September 17 and 18. In the face of the horrors of disfigured faces, doctors and nurses worked through the night, pushing themselves to the brink of exhaustion to ...

Cardinal Aghagianian's Remains Moved to Beirut

While official statements have been sparse and lacking in detail, the figure of Cardinal Grégoire Pierre XV Aghagianian (1895-1971) is emerging more clearly as the reasons for transferring his remains to Lebanon are now better understood. This solemn transfer, taking place at Martyrs' Square, comes at his own request. Born in Georgia in 1895 and ...

September 8: Nativity of Mary, Wonder of God

The birth of Virgin Mary, commemorated on September 8, is, alongside the births of Jesus and John the Baptist, one of only three holy births celebrated by both Eastern and Western Churches. This highlights the central importance of this feast, despite its relative modesty compared to more prominent celebrations like Christmas and Easter, which are ...

August 4: 'A Thunder Day' in the Vatican for Victims' Parents

“A thunder day!” Cardiologist Nazih al-Adem is elated with the outcome of his visit to the Vatican, a sentiment echoed by all the parents of the victims of the August 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion. On August 26, Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, held a lengthy meeting with them. Fueled by a resolve ...

August 4 Victims' Families Head to Vatican

A delegation representing the families of the victims of the August 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion is en route to the Vatican, according to informed sources. They will be received on August 26 by Pope Francis and Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The group consists of approximately twenty people, including spokespersons for the victims' ...

Envisioning Lebanon Amidst Historical Turmoil

Is Lebanon's Fate Truly Tragic? Not Necessarily. Certainly battered by history, but condemned? Not if the Lebanese people recognize their role in the current disorder. From the early days of this noble national vocation, initiated by Patriarch Howayek during negotiations with the Third French Republic, he criticized the clientelism and favoritism ...

The Martyrdom of Hussein at Kerbala and the Cult of Sacrifice

On the night of July 16 to 17, Shiites observe Ashura (from the word "achra," meaning ten), commemorating a pivotal event in their community's history: the assassination of Imam Hussein, the Prophet's grandson, in Kerbala, Iraq, in October 680 A.D. (Muharram 61 in the Islamic calendar). Imam Hussein was fleeing Damascus and the Caliph Yazid, with ...

Should Lebanon Be Sacrificed to Win Back Palestine?

"The Maronite Patriarch shouldn’t apologize," asserts the Maronite Archbishop Emeritus of Beirut, Boulos Matar. The Shiite duo (Amal-Hezbollah) wants an apology from Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai for saying in one of his homilies that he refuses to let southern Lebanon become a launching pad for "terrorist" actions. However, Boulos Matar ...

The Re-foundation of Lebanon

  The significance of recent events went largely unnoticed. Following a meeting at Bkerké among religious leaders from Lebanon's diverse communities, dual calls for peace prayers were issued—one by the Patriarch and the other by the Mufti of the Republic—emphasizing a collective rejection of the conflict in which Hezbollah has embroiled ...