In his first limited meeting with the public since February, the Head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, declared tomorrow, 4 September, as a day of prayer and fasting for Lebanon. One month after the tragic Beirut blast, the Pope urged the global community, each in his or her own religion, to stand in solidarity with Lebanon and take part in the initiative “in whatever way they deem best”.
The Pope also stated that he will be sending a representative to Lebanon on the day, to be present with the people. He also called a Lebanese student priest with the Lebanese flag to stand next to him and hold it together. “Let us demonstrate our closeness by concrete works of charity,” he added during the speech.
The Pope had previously asked the Church in Lebanon to stick by the people in their suffering, and appealed to the international community to not abandon Lebanon in their time of need.