The Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, visited the Shiite Supreme Islamic Council on Friday, where he met with the Vice President of the Council, Sheikh Ali al-Khatib.
In addition to discussing the current situation, Sheikh al-Khatib took the opportunity to present the Nuncio with a letter addressed to Pope Francis. The contents of the letter have not been disclosed, but according to several sources, it may concern the urgent need to elect a President of the Republic, the only Christian head of state in the region.
The Shiite cleric reportedly emphasized in the letter that “the Christian President of Lebanon should not be absent at a time when we are preparing for a new Middle East and new regional agreements.” He added, “The presidential vacuum has led to the absence of the Christian voice.”
The letter is said to address “the critical situation of the Palestinian people, the unprecedented international sympathy for Israel against Palestine and its displaced people, and the global abandonment of the Palestinian cause.”
According to these sources, the Shiite message to the Pope aligns with the rhetoric of Hezbollah and the obstructionist axis. Could the Council, known for its proximity, if not dependence on the pro-Iranian faction, be playing the role of an intermediary between them and the Vatican?
