Lebanon and Eastern Christians at the Heart of the Pope's Visit to France

On the first day of his apostolic visit to France, speaking at the Élysée Palace to President Emmanuel Macron, the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps, Pope Leo XIV delivered an address in which he praised “cooperation between France and the Catholic Church in the service of Eastern Christians,” linking this stance to “a proper secularism” as understood and welcomed by the Holy See. “Proper secularism, therefore, does not consist in excluding religion from public life or education,” the Holy Father stated in his address, “but in working to ensure that the State and religious institutions engage in dialogue and join forces in the service of the common good, so that the world may have life.”

“In this regard,” he continued, “I commend the work carried out within the framework of the Dialogue Body between the Holy See, the Catholic Church in France and the French government (...). Such exchanges are a very fitting illustration of the sound complementarity reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council, in the sense that ‘[the political community and the Church], though under different titles, are at the service of the personal and social vocation of the same people. They will carry out this service all the more effectively for the good of all insofar as they seek ever greater sound cooperation with one another’ (Gaudium et Spes, 76.3).”

Dialogue among peoples

“I also note with joy,” Leo XIV added, “that this same desire to serve every person, whatever their origin, has for centuries inspired cooperation between France and the Catholic Church in the service of Eastern Christians. The educational, social, cultural and humanitarian work carried out in the countries of the Middle East, in conjunction with various associations such as Aid to the Church in Need and Œuvre d’Orient, is a valuable contribution to dialogue among peoples and to upholding the rights of every person.”

“This is an eloquent testimony in which culture and faith stand as pillars fostering harmony among different peoples and religions, in the service of peace and mediation among humanity. Here too, education is a particularly important issue. It remains, in fact, one of the principal areas of cooperation, finding notably concrete and fruitful expression through the Fund for Schools in the East. In this regard, I wish to express my gratitude to all those involved in this project, which, since its founding in 2021, has made it possible to provide support to more than 260 educational institutions in the Middle East, including seven universities in Lebanon and the University of Bethlehem.”