{"id":33005,"date":"2021-05-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-30T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/pope-francis-invites-lebanese-christian-leaders-to-vatican-to-pray-for-peace\/"},"modified":"2021-05-30T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-05-30T13:00:00","slug":"pope-francis-invites-lebanese-christian-leaders-to-vatican-to-pray-for-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldcatholicnews.com\/pope-francis-invites-lebanese-christian-leaders-to-vatican-to-pray-for-peace\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Francis invites Lebanese Christian leaders to Vatican to pray for peace"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Vatican City, May 30, 2021 \/ 07:00 am<\/p>\n

Pope Francis has invited Lebanese Christian leaders to the Vatican for a day of prayer on July 1 for \u201cthe worrying situation in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pope made the announcement from window of the Vatican\u2019s Apostolic Palace on May 30 after praying the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter\u2019s Square.<\/p>\n

The leaders of the main Christian communities present in Lebanon will \u201cpray together for the gift of peace and stability,\u201d Francis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI entrust this intention to the intercession of the Mother God, so venerated at the Shrine of Harissa, and from this moment, I ask you to accompany the preparation of this event with solidarity in prayer, invoking a more peaceful future for this beloved country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lebanon has faced a financial and political crisis for months, as political leaders have failed to form a government to implement reforms after the devastating explosion in Beirut\u2019s port on Aug. 4. The blast killed nearly 200 people, injured 600 others, and caused more than $4 billion in damage.<\/p>\n

Before the explosion, the country was already facing severe economic pressure. Unemployment had soared and the national currency had lost at least 80% of its value against the U.S. dollar since 2019, according to AP.<\/p>\n

Pope Francis met with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on April 22 at the Vatican, where the Lebanese leader also met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Gallagher.<\/p>\n

Saad Hariri was given the task of forming a new government last October following the resignations of the leaders Hassan Diab in August and Mustapha Adib in September. This development came less than a year after Hariri himself had resigned as prime minister, on Oct. 29, 2019, in the wake of mass protests.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n