Religion

To illustrate his point and give it a biblical dimension, Pope Leo XIV uses, in his encyclical Magnifica humanitas on the digital age and Artificial Intelligence (AI), a metaphor: humanity must choose between building a new “Tower of Babel” or building the “Holy City.” The story of the Tower of Babel is a biblical episode from the Book of Genesis. Shortly after the Flood, while all human beings spoke the same language, they set out to build a city and a tower whose top would reach the heavens, in order to make a name for themselves. Then God confused their language so that they could no longer understand one another, and scattered them over the face of the earth (Genesis 11:1-9). The myth proved remarkably fertile in the history of ideas and inspired reflections on the origin of linguistic diversity, the power of collective effort, the sin of pride, the totalization of knowledge, and more. The theme of the “Holy City,” introduced in the Book of Nehemiah, closes the New Testament and occupies a central place in the work of Saint Augustine. The Holy City symbolizes everything that is humanly and divinely possible and desirable: peace, justice, relations of friendship between Christ and his saints, doctrinal fidelity, and so on. For the Christian faith, it is up to humanity to rise above itself in order to build this City, following the major orientations of the Church’s social doctrine. The irresponsibility of “Realpolitik” Yet, describing the world in which we live, Leo XIV observes that, far from all the promises nations made after the Second World War, and the cry of “Never again war” that Europe had proclaimed, “the logic of armed balance and deterrence seems to be returning and imposing itself.” “But unlike the bipolar scenario of the Cold War,” the Pope adds, “the multiplication of actors and fronts of conflict today makes this logic increasingly fragile. The intensification of confrontations leads to asymmetric and ‘hybrid’ wars, waged also on the economic, financial and digital fronts, with the use of disinformation and campaigns that fuel fear in order to influence public opinion. In many countries, including countries of the Global South, the increase in military spending is presented as the only response to an uncertain future or to perceived threats, while the real cost is borne by the poorest, who see resources allocated to health, education and social services reduced. “Behind all this,” Leo XIV insists, “lies a false ‘realism,’ based not only on the well-established logic of force, but also on a cultural and anthropological conviction, as though war were inevitably part of human nature. It has always been so, people say, except for brief interludes, and it will always be so! The problem is therefore no longer peace, which has been lost as a reference point in the international landscape, but how and when to act militarily, while claiming that it would be irresponsible not to prepare for inevitable confrontation. What is truly irresponsible is Realpolitik, this form of political ‘realism’ that sows in consciences and in culture resignation to inevitable war, and that considers peace and dialogue to be utopian or irrational positions that ignore the risks at stake.” (§205) The mode of production of the digital economy On another level, Leo XIV elaborates on the mode of production of the digital economy. It rests, he says, “on the silent labor of millions of human beings, employed in activities that are barely visible but essential: data labeling, content moderation — often of very harmful content — and model training. In many cases, these are young people, mostly women, who work laboriously for poverty wages. To this invisible fatigue is added another, even more brutal one: the extraction of the resources needed to produce the devices and microprocessors on which AI depends.” “In certain regions of the world,” the Sovereign Pontiff stresses, “children and adolescents work, in dangerous conditions, crushing the materials from which rare earths are extracted. Bodies marked, mutilated, used so that the flow of computation may never be interrupted. In addition, criminal networks use online platforms, messaging systems, anonymous payments and profiling techniques to recruit, control and move victims of trafficking, often minors, turning men and women into ‘data’ to be tracked and ‘packages’ to be moved within the same digital circuits that sustain a large part of the global economy.” He adds: “This reality deeply challenges the moral conscience of our time. It is not enough to invoke efficiency, nor to celebrate the benefits of innovation, if they rest on a chain of exploitation that remains deliberately invisible.” Peace, the fruit of justice and charity For Pope Prevost, “peace is not a naïve hope nor a mere absence of war,” but “the fruit, always possible, of justice and charity.” Illustrating this statement, Leo cites J.R.R. Tolkien, the great British Catholic writer of the 20th century, who describes our responsibility through the words of Gandalf, one of the protagonists of The Lord of the Rings trilogy: “It is not our part, however, to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.” For us, whose arable lands and olive groves are sprayed with glyphosate and phosphorus, these words should resonate particularly strongly. Next article: Against the post-humanist illusion, the capacity for relationship and love (3/3) Read also on the same theme: Leo XIV’s Magnifica humanitas, a Foundational Text on AI (1/3)

In the first encyclical of his pontificate, Leo XIV addresses both the immense benefits and the present and potential dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) , a technological advance without precedent in human history, but also a formidable tool capable of enslaving humanity and distorting what it means to be human. He argues for “the possibility of peace” in an age convinced that “war is inevitably part of human nature.” The parallel between Magnificent Humanity and Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum novarum (1891) is evident, down to its very form: Leo XIV symbolically signed his text on 15 May 2026, the 135th anniversary of the foundational encyclical of Catholic social teaching. The pope had already explained that he chose his regnal name to honour Leo XIII, drawing a direct parallel between the upheavals of the first industrial revolution and those of artificial intelligence. In 1891, the encyclical Rerum novarum , which was to inspire the whole of the Church’s social doctrine in the 20th century, set out a number of principles emphasizing that the economy and technical progress in general, then undergoing profound transformation, must remain at the service of the human person and not the reverse. At the height of the industrial revolution, Pope Leo XIII sought to warn against the danger posed to humanity, on the one hand by the rise of unrestrained capitalism, and on the other by the socialist project of a state-controlled economy. Among these major principles were the dignity of the worker; the duty of the state to care for the common good; the universal destination of goods, as opposed to their appropriation by a few; subsidiarity, according to which a higher authority should only undertake what lower levels cannot accomplish on their own; the legitimacy of both trade unionism and private property; and the need for a preferential option for the poor. An “Augmented” Legacy The encyclical Magnifica humanitas has been widely regarded as a foundational text for the digital age, comparable to Rerum novarum for the industrial revolution. It builds on this legacy and adapts it to the new digital environment, as “artificial intelligence must be understood not as a peripheral theme, nor as an emergency to be managed, but as a transformation that challenges from within the categories of social doctrine” (§17). For many intellectuals, Leo XIV emerges, thanks to this document, as the man of the moment. Thus, the encyclical extends the universal destination of goods to digital data: “Patents, algorithms, digital infrastructures are goods that cannot remain concentrated in the hands of a few” (§67). Another example: the encyclical redefines subsidiarity, as the “higher level” is no longer embodied by the state but by the major technological platforms that shape access to public life (§71). The Whole of Society Addressed Like the great social encyclicals of the Catholic tradition, Magnifica humanitas addresses society as a whole. It is a universal appeal directed as much to algorithm designers and political leaders as to ordinary citizens, believers or not, to place the inalienable dignity of the human person back at the center of innovation. The encyclical is marked by a strong doctrinal fidelity. It draws on the concepts of John Paul II concerning the dignity of human work ( Laborem exercens ), of Benedict XVI on integral human development in the face of technology ( Caritas in veritate ), and of Francis on the universal destination of goods and the critique of the technocratic paradigm ( Laudato si’ ) and on the promotion of fraternity against the digital individualism transmitted through screens ( Fratelli tutti ). Theological Relevance “Humanity must be restored to the awareness that it is something great,” Pope Benedict XVI once wrote. By its title alone, Leo XIV’s encyclical directly echoes this aspiration. “Magnificent Humanity” is one that must be seen “in the face of the Son,” the American pope states (§133). A Son “through whom and for whom all things were created” (Col 1:16), but who presented himself to his contemporaries and to the world as “the Son of Man,” the brother of all ( Fratelli tutti ). In this sense, Magnificent Humanity is a strongly “personalist” encyclical that places the human person “at the center,” not at the periphery of human activity. It is also deeply moral in tone. But it is not a question of personal morality; rather, it concerns morality as shaped by the advent and use of this extraordinary tool that is AI – in particular the morality of its modes of production, of relations between rich and poor nations, of the relationship between capital and labor, of the concentration of cognitive, economic and political power in the hands of multinational corporations or individuals. It is also the morality of the use of digital power in the field of education,whether for civilian or military purposes, or for the common good or for criminal intent. A Great Spiritual Blindness The encyclical is also moral in its judgment of our time, marked, according to the pope, by “a great spiritual and cultural blindness.” §204 reads: “We live in an age of great spiritual and cultural blindness. A false pragmatism invites us to sever the roots of memory, as if one could inaugurate a kind of ‘new creation’ severed from the past; even those who invoke great moral principles can fall into this historical nihilism, lulled by the illusion that the atrocities of the twentieth century (ed. note: those of the two World Wars and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Soviet Gulag, the Shoah, and the rice fields of Cambodia…) can no longer be repeated. In reality, the same dynamics resurface in new forms.” As we can see today in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and even in old Europe. Next article: Tower of Babel or Holy City (2/3)

A virtuous revolution is underway in the Maronite Church: Bkerké has decided to give the wives of its married priests an identity – the “khouriyates.” They are named Rita, Paulette, Nadia, Nour, Charlotte and Dounia, and all are married to Maronite priests. They are the “khouriyates,” the feminine form of “khoury” (priest), an affectionate designation they have always carried. On May 16, they took part in the first national gathering of priests’ wives in the Maronite Church, which moved to formally recognize them and ensure they are fully integrated into their husbands’ priestly journey. In a message to the assembly, Cardinal Mario Grech underscored the initiative’s dual thrust: fidelity to the Eastern tradition of the Maronite Church, alongside openness to the prominent place and role women must hold in contemporary society. The meeting, a historic first, was jointly prepared and launched by the Diocese of Antelias, led by Bishop Antoine Bou Najem, and the Patriarchal Committee for the Follow-up of the Synod on Synodality, chaired by Bishop Mounir Khairallah, Bishop of Batroun. Its theme was: “The Vocation and Mission of the Khouriye in the Church.” For the 154 priests’ wives in attendance, the gathering was a profound gift: recognition by the community and the promise of ongoing formation. “It even happened that, in the assembly, there was a priest’s wife whose son is himself a married priest,” jokes Rita Abou-Mitri, 49, coordinator of the group of priests’ wives within the Diocese of Antelias. The body played a driving role in bringing this national first to fruition. “The oldest had been married for fifty years, while the most recent had been married for only a week!’ she adds with a laugh. The number of “khouriyates” in Lebanon is in fact higher, Rita acknowledges, noting that precise data on the matter remains unavailable. The importance of Maronite priests in Lebanese society hardly needs stressing, both in urban centers and rural villages. Their marriage is an integral part of the Maronite tradition and is often seen as a factor of stability, fertility and unity. Within the Maronite Church, they hold a particular status: their state of life is chosen prior to ordination. As diocesan priests, they cannot be consecrated as bishops, nor can they remarry after the death of their wife. In the West, Pope Francis has authorized their presence and ordination, given their growth and the migratory flows that have taken them out of the Middle East. A trained nurse, Rita and her husband, Georges Abou-Mitri, parish priest of Saint-Michel Church in Beit Cha’ar (Metn), have three children: two boys aged 15 and 18, and a 11-year-old girl. They met when Georges was preparing for the priesthood at the Ghazir seminary (Kesrouan). Her husband’s academic background includes hotel management, spiritual accompaniment and philosophy. There is no sense of betrayal or guilt in their relationship. Father Georges had, from that time, chosen marriage, following a process of discernment with his spiritual director. “Leaving God for God” For this couple, the two vocations – marriage and the priesthood – are not in contradiction. One of the “golden rules” of their shared life is flexibility, a principle established by Saint Vincent de Paul for the Daughters of Charity: “There are certain occasions in which one cannot keep the order of the daily schedule (...); charity is above all rules (...). God calls you to prayer, and at the same time He calls you to that poor sick person. This is called leaving God for God.” “It is a law of freedom,” Rita explains. “Like any mother, there are moments when I have to cut Mass short to take care of the children, or leave a meeting if urgency requires it. At the same time, I must exercise great restraint in my interactions with the various social or charitable parish committees, youth organizations, First Communion annual preparation, women’s groups, relations with the school system, and so on.” “It is our partnership that makes the family grow,” she continues. For Rita, this means that the two vocations are conceived and lived together, and that together they form a pastoral team without introducing a false hierarchy into the couple. There is a delicate balance to be found in the mutual service they render to one another. The priority is that Father Georges’ priestly ministry bears fruit, without their marriage falling into solitude and exhaustion, or the children being neglected. “On the contrary,” Rita stresses, “our good understanding is reflected in my husband’s relationship with his parishioners. If there is tension in the air – and it does happen – or if fatigue becomes too visible, it creates problems, and they notice it immediately. Moreover, both our families prioritize Georges’ schedule and reorganize their timetables accordingly. The children adapt as well.” Rita notes, however, that in the early phase of her marriage, in order to care for her young children, she had to give up her contract at a major hospital in Beirut. During those years, the family relied on her husband’s teaching salary, as he provides catechism classes and spiritual accompaniment in two different schools. It is also customary in Maronite parishes for priests to receive a salary. However, this amount is not standardized and depends on each parish’s resources. In the best cases, it does not exceed $600 per month. Some parishes may reduce it to as little as $100, considering that priests can supplement their income through baptisms, weddings and funerals they celebrate. It remains nonetheless the case that, in the Maronite Church, a priest’s housing is normally provided by the parish, his children receive free schooling, and he benefits from medical and hospital insurance covered by his diocese, as well as a pension fund. “Whether the priest is single or married, it makes no difference, provided he does not look back, takes up the yoke of service and follows Christ in joy,” says Bishop Paul Nahed, himself a married priest and secretary general of the Patriarchal Committee for the Follow-up of the Synod on Synodality. Cardinal Grech: “A True Calling” Welcomed and accompanied by Patriarch Bechara Rai, Bishop Mounir Khairallah of Batroun, who oversees the Synod on Synodality follow-up, Bishop Antoine Bou Najem of Antelias, and Bishop Paul Nahed, participants at the gathering listened to a video message from Cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, which Father Nahed described as “strikingly open.” “Your invitation,” Cardinal Grech said, “though surprising, allowed me to appreciate the value of the journey your Church is undertaking in order to remain faithful to its own tradition (...). Given that the tradition of the Eastern Churches has always emphasized the importance of a married clergy, it is essential, in the present time and in the face of growing sociocultural changes, to recognize that women should occupy a role more in keeping with their immense capacities; this role should be able to fully accompany the priestly journey, and even become an integral – and not secondary – part of it.” Addressing the wives directly, Cardinal Grech added: “Be faithful to your calling. It is indeed a true calling. Live alongside your husbands as priests, offering them your abilities and intelligence, and above all your faith, your hope and your love – this love that draws its strength from the wonderful gift God has given you: becoming mothers within the ecclesial community.” Divided into small groups, the women present experienced what is known as “conversation in the Spirit,” a moment of sharing and listening to what the Holy Spirit says to the Church through the believing community. They also met Patriarch Rai, who patiently answered numerous practical questions regarding their situation, including widowhood. A committee will be responsible for following up on the meeting and developing a program of biblical and pastoral formation. For Rita Abou-Mitri, “the spirit of listening, discernment and participation dominated the day, reflecting a spiritual atmosphere in which participants experienced a Pentecost.”

“You have to say it: the rosary keeps you from falling any lower.” Raoul* – a language-loving retiree, an overqualified Lebanese-Canadian family man living under the constant threat of unemployment – says it matter-of-factly, without going into detail. In May, the month the Church dedicates to the Virgin Mary, stories of help received through the rosary are countless. For Fahed F., a native of Kesrouan, his marriage would have remained childless without the rosary and visits to the Marian shrine of Béchouate, in the Bekaa Valley. “Start praying!” the businessman suddenly hears inwardly just after handing his car keys to a worker he had sent on an errand. When the man returns – after discreetly repeating Hail Mary’s near the construction site where his laborers were working – he learns that his car had skidded on the rain-slick Metn highway and might have plunged into a ravine had a large bush not providentially stopped its course. In their own way, such testimonies echo the words of Pope Leo XIV, who traveled on May 8 to the shrine of Pompeii in Italy to mark the first anniversary of his pontificate. “The rosary,” he said, “is the prayer of the poor (...). It contains the essence of Christian theology.” Above all, he added, it embodies the dogmas of the Incarnation and Redemption. Indeed, gathered in passing conversations, these testimonies suggest that the rosary truly is “the prayer of the poor” – heaven’s all-purpose prayer, the one people instinctively turn to at any moment and in every circumstance: to obtain a grace, stop a war, ease childbirth, find the strength to rise again, pass an exam or avert an accident. A Tradition Dating Back to the 13th Century The recitation of the chaplet and the rosary traces its origins to medieval Europe. During the campaign against the Albigensian sect in the early 13th century, the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to Saint Dominic and explained that prayer – more powerful in defeating heresy than polemics or warfare – was the weapon that must be used. The faithful, she instructed, were to repeat ceaselessly: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us poor sinners!” This is said to be the origin of the rosary. One allegorical account holds that the Virgin Mary herself handed Saint Dominic the precious string of knots or beads now seen hanging from the rearview mirrors of so many cars. In monasteries, illiterate monks were thereafter instructed to recite the rosary’s 150 Hail Mary’s while gradually learning the 150 psalms of the Psalter. Composed of five decades of Hail Mary’s, each punctuated by an Our Father and a Glory Be, the chaplet is a repetitive prayer. The rosary originally comprised three chaplets, enabling the faithful to meditate on the fifteen Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. In this context, the word “mystery” refers to a central episode in the life of Christ. At the beginning of the 21st century, John Paul II added a fourth set of five so-called “Luminous Mysteries,” though their recitation remains optional. Each decade is accompanied by meditation on one of these mysteries from Christ’s life. To make the rosary more accessible – not only to clergy but also to lay believers pressed for time – the Church assigned specific groups of mysteries to different days of the week, allowing the full rosary to be spread over three or four days. Rooted in History Its deep roots in the Church’s history give the chaplet unquestionable spiritual legitimacy. Its greatest strength lies in its accessibility. It adapts easily to each person’s worries and available moments. Admittedly, experience shows that its repetitive nature can at times lead to mechanical recitation – or even drowsiness – and that completing the chaplet often requires an effort of concentration. Yet that effort is rarely unrewarded. A powerful source of support in life’s many hardships – health crises, professional setbacks and anxieties of every kind – the chaplet can also lead believers toward new depths in the Scriptures and into a genuine personal encounter with Christ. “The greatest miracle of the rosary is the one that takes place in the heart,” says Marielle, a Maronite mother raised in a family where the chaplet was recited every day. She admits that, as a child, she almost always fell asleep during prayer and still does not know how to pray the rosary on her own. “With my husband,” she says, “we often manage to turn it into a moment of grace, of conversation, of encounter with the Lord and powerful intercession. We bring all our worries into it.” Changing the Course of History But the “Queen of Heaven and Earth” does not merely assist individuals. She also seeks to lead entire peoples, continents and the world itself to her Son. Her intercession – particularly through the rosary – is believed to be capable of changing the course of history. The textbook example often cited in this regard is the role attributed to the rosary in the famous naval Battle of Lepanto (Ionian Sea, October 7, 1571), which pitted the Ottoman fleet of Selim II against the ships of the Holy League coalition led by Spain and the Republic of Venice. With 187 vessels lost out of 251 engaged, and more than 20,000 men killed, the outcome of the battle was considered providential. That day marked a decisive halt to Ottoman expansionism. Consequently, Pope Pius V established October 7 as the liturgical feast of the Rosary. The former Arab-Muslim presence in Europe left the continent with two beautiful reminders: Lourdes and Fatima. The village of Fatima, in Portugal, bears the name of the Prophet of Islam’s favorite daughter. Behind this unusual toponymy lies the enduring memory of Andalusia and the Arab presence on the Iberian Peninsula. Why Mary chose this village to warn of the tragedies of the 20th century remains her secret. What is known, however, is that she appeared to the three children who witnessed her as Our Lady of the Rosary and asked for its daily recitation. “The Noblest of Ladies” In the case of Lourdes, an oral tradition recorded by chroniclers suggests that the name may derive from the Arabic word “warda” (rose, flower), through the shift of the Arabic consonant “waw” into the French liquid consonant “l”. It is also conjectured that the Massabielle grotto, where the Virgin appeared to Saint Bernadette in 1858, takes its name from the Arabic “as-sabil”, meaning fountain or spring. These details appear in a chronicle recounting how, in 778, Emperor Charlemagne, returning from his campaign in Spain, was halted in the Pyrenees before a fortress held by a prince named Mirat (an anagram of “amir” or “emir”?), who resisted both demands to surrender and offers to be made “count and knight of Charlemagne” while retaining all his possessions, on condition that he accept baptism. As a last resort, Charlemagne’s chaplain, the Bishop of Le Puy, after fervently imploring Our Lady of Le Puy, was granted permission to enter the citadel as an envoy. Aware that Muslims hold the Virgin Mary in great esteem, he offered Mirat, if not submission to Charlemagne, at least acceptance of “the noblest Lady who ever lived” as his sovereign. Convinced by the proposal, Mirat declared himself ready to lay down arms before the servant of Our Lady and receive baptism, on condition that his county would never owe allegiance, either for himself or his descendants, to anyone but her alone. Charlemagne confirmed the agreement, and Mirat was baptized by the bishop of the diocese of Le Puy. This encounter marked the end of the “Reconquista” in France. Striking Testimonies These testimonies are striking. Through their influence and reach, Lourdes and Fatima stand as sacred relics, almost as promises. The sanctuary of Lourdes will continue until the end of time to bear the mark of the Virgin Mary, the “warda sirriya” or “mystical rose” of the Litany of the Rosary, as Mirat the Saracen once wished. Let us conclude by noting that the Catholic Church can only rejoice in the holiness of the popes who have governed it for more than a century. Yet the evident multiplication of Marian apparitions over the past hundred years also suggests that she has deemed it useful to intervene directly in the course of history. In the Middle East, she has been reported in Cairo (1968), Beirut (1970), Damascus (1982) and Mosul (1991). For nothing escapes Mary – neither our personal conduct nor the troubling times the planet is going through. As we see in Lebanon and elsewhere, her warnings remain as relevant as ever. In Lebanon, a civil national holiday was even created to symbolize coexistence, borrowing from the Virgin Mary the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25). For, fortunately, the final word always belongs to her. “Were God, in His anger, to break the world, I would bring Him its pieces,” are the striking words she is said to have once confided to Father Jean-Édouard Lamy, a French mystic and missionary (1853-1931). Yes, the rosary is indeed the image of the “Servant of the Lord” – the praying embodiment of the spirit of service – and the assurance that fervent, sincere prayer surpasses in effectiveness “polemics and war.” A “prayer of the poor,” a prayer for all purposes, and even, as the Virgin Mary herself is said to affirm, a prayer to remake all things. (*) First names have been changed.

The Church in Lebanon is currently caught in the turmoil of three “holy wars”: two distinct forms of Islamic fundamentalism (Shia and Sunni), a Judaic fundamentalism, and an eschatological religious shift – “Christian Zionism.” These competing spiritual visions share a common focal point: Jerusalem, the ultimate city of peace. During his visit to Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV addressed the Lebanese people with the same message he has delivered to the world since his election – particularly to young Eastern Christians: “Be the architects of your own peace; be powerful levers for a peace between religions.” These words are intended for the men and women of a country that is an integral part of the Holy Land, and which, consequently, carries a mission of unity and communion. Lebanon is regarded as a beacon and a safeguard for all Christians in the Middle East, as it remains the only country in the region where historical Christianity is still deeply and extensively rooted in society. Pope John Paul II saw the nation as “a message of freedom and an example of pluralism for both East and West.” Having been linked to the Vatican for centuries while remaining profoundly Eastern, Lebanon’s Maronites and their schools have transformed the country into an extraordinary bridge between East and West. Conversely, in certain American religious perspectives – particularly those associated with “Christian Zionism” – the Middle East, including Lebanon, is perceived as a prophetic theater centered on the existence and security of the State of Israel. From this viewpoint, regional conflicts are not merely political: they are part of an eschatological reading of history, linked to the End Times. The Church has a duty to address them with a language of both truth and charity. Prudence and Discernment Certainly, the Church also believes in the End Times, but it does so with the prudence and discernment acquired over two millennia – and after many of its own failings. Indeed, without the grace of God, such lapses can still occur. However, the Church has a few things to say on the matter, particularly regarding the instrumentalization of religion to legitimate violence. For the Church, the only “legitimate” violence is that which is exercised against “what makes a person unclean,” that which “comes out of the heart: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15). This violence is directed first and foremost against oneself. It may also be exercised externally, within the limits of self-defense. Yet even this concept – though present in the Catechism of the Catholic Church – must be used with the necessary caution. Indeed, it is currently undergoing doctrinal revision, particularly when invoked collectively under the label of a “just war.” Wilayat al-Faqih In Iran, the Islamic doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih stipulates that during the occultation of the 12th Imam – known as the “Imam of the Age” (10th century) – the government falls under the responsibility of a faqih (a jurist-theologian). This theory, primarily developed by Ayatollah Khomeini, is the foundation of a theocracy that grants Shia clerics primacy over political power. The faqih is regarded as the Supreme Leader, governing the Muslim community ( Ummah ) with veto power across all domains – legislative, judicial, and military alike. He is chosen to conduct a policy as close as possible to what the Mahdi himself would have done. Incorporated into the Iranian Constitution of the Islamic Republic, the implementation of this doctrine in Lebanon by Hezbollah raises the serious issue of its incompatibility with sectarian pluralism. Consequently, in 1995, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah proclaimed himself a marja al-taqlid (source of emulation) – an act that amounted to an open challenge to the principle of Wilayat al-Faqih , in the name of a “pluralistic and non-hierarchical tradition” within Shia Islam. “The Signs of the Hour” In an article published in issue 422 of the journal L’Histoire (April 2016), the historian Jean-Pierre Filiu raised the issue of “End Times Jihad.” Several figures within the Iranian theocracy – from former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah – have publicly linked the theocracy established in Iran, along with its ideological and military proselytism, to the dawn of the “End of Days.” According to Jean-Pierre Filiu, “in both Sunnism and Shiism, the end of days will be heralded by a series of clues, known as ‘the signs of the hour.’” Alongside relatively conventional signs – the rise of paganism, a contempt for religion and family ties, corruption, and immorality – other indicators are more specific: the seasons will become deceptive, time will contract, deserts will be developed and built upon, a mountain of gold will emerge from the Euphrates, and the Roums (Christians) will attack the cities of Aamaq and Dabiq in Syria. The Islamic State group has frequently invoked these signs, even naming its magazine Dabiq . In his article, Filiu revisits two historical examples of “apocalyptic opportunism” – occurring in Sudan in 1883 and in Mecca in 1979 – both of which were crushed. The seizure of the Grand Mosque, it should be recalled, involved the taking of hostages at al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, by Islamist fundamentalists and opponents of the Saudi royal family. The event took place on 20 November 1979, during the Hajj pilgrimage. Leading the siege was a retired corporal from the Saudi National Guard, whose primary goal was the recognition of his brother-in-law, who was among the group, as the Mahdi. He justified his actions by claiming that the House of Saud had lost its legitimacy through corruption, a life of luxury, and the destruction of Saudi culture via its policy of opening up to the West. Jean-Pierre Filiu illustrates the apocalyptic illuminism of the Islamic Republic of Iran through the figure of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad – President from 2005 to 2013 – who was convinced of the imminent return of the Hidden Imam and claimed to have been “shrouded in the light of the Mahdi during his speech at the UN.” “The Lebanese militia Hezbollah also claimed a ‘divine victory’ after a month of clashes with Israel in the summer of 2006. Its propaganda invoked an intervention by the Mahdi alongside Shia fighters,” the historian notes. What about Israel? What about Israel? We all know how the small “national home” of the Balfour Declaration (1918) has become the “roaring lion” of the Tehran bombings (2026). Lebanon has also closely witnessed the war in Gaza, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government responded to the atrocities of October 7 with a genocide. To reveal Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalist messianism, one need only cite his televised address on the Israeli national channel i24 on Wednesday, 26 October 2023: “We are the people of light, they are the people of darkness, and light shall triumph over darkness. Our war against Hamas is a test for all of humanity; it is a struggle between the Iranian axis of evil – involving Hezbollah and Hamas – and the axis of freedom and progress. The time has come to unite for a single purpose: to move forward and achieve victory through joint forces and a profound belief in justice, a profound belief in the eternity of the Jewish people. We shall fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah.” Hamas and the “Hadith” The eschatological dimension of Hamas – a creation of the Muslim Brotherhood – is clearly visible in its charter, adopted on 18 August 1988. Its fundamental objectives include the establishment of a Palestinian state, the liberation of the occupied Palestinian territories, and the elimination of Israel. However, one of the most significant passages in the Hamas charter is the eschatological hadith (an oral tradition of the Prophet Muhammad) cited in Article 7: “The Hour will not come until Muslims fight the Jews and kill them; until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, and these will cry out: ‘O Muslim, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him!’” “Christian Zionism” and the Second Coming There is no need to recount here the history of Zionism, which led to the creation of the State of Israel. For our purposes, let us simply say that the belief in the State of Israel’s place within the history of salvation is present in a very specific way among certain American evangelical circles, who view Israel as the fulfilment of biblical prophecies. For many of its supporters, events in the Middle East are interpreted through an eschatological reading of history. These circles believe that Israel’s return to its land (“from the Nile to the Euphrates”) will hasten the Second Coming of Christ. Through its literal biblical understanding of the subject, this belief distinguishes itself from nationalist Zionism. Evangelicals believe that the very existence of the State of Israel will bring Jesus back to Earth and ensure God’s triumph over the forces of evil, while Jews who convert to Christianity will be saved. “Christian Zionism” was denounced once again very recently by the Churches of the Holy Land. In a declaration dated 17 January 2026, the Greek and Armenian Orthodox Patriarchs classified it as a “harmful ideology.” These ideologies, the statement asserts, “mislead the public, sow confusion, and damage the unity of the flock.” The signatories warn against “a possible political instrumentalization that could harm the Christian presence in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East.” The warning is clear. Beyond missiles, alliances, and geopolitical rivalries, the true battle for Lebanon – and for its Church – lies in proving that a Middle Eastern country can preserve its religious diversity, build a just state, and resist the political manipulation of the sacred. This may seem utopian, but if, amidst all the turbulence, Lebanon succeeds in meeting this challenge in a region marked by the blindest religious arbitrariness, it could become not a regional battlefield, but a beacon and a spiritual pivot for the entire Middle East.

In a first article examining the situation of Middle Eastern Christians, we outlined the demographic and social reality facing Syria’s Christian communities – one that was bleak in every respect. This second installment explores the spiritual, cultural, and historical stakes involved. Commenting on a report by L’Œuvre d’Orient on Syria’s Christian communities, completed in the summer of 2025 (see previous article), Bishop Hugues de Woillemont, the organization’s director, underscored the vital role Christian associative and charitable institutions continue to play across Syrian society, notably in the fields of reconciliation, women's empowerment, and education. Returning to the report, he states: “Religious and ethnic pluralism is one of Syria’s greatest assets. However, after half a century of dictatorship and fourteen years of war – compounded by sectarian violence in the post-Assad period – it is clear that this religious and ethnic diversity has been considerably weakened and threatened in Syria.” “Moreover, the crucial need to protect minorities in order to ensure stability and prevent conflict has been highlighted in numerous UN reports,” Bishop Woillemont noted. “Yet current European and international aid and protection mechanisms clearly do not take sufficient account of the vulnerability and fragility of this ecosystem.” “We are calling in particular,” the director of L’Œuvre d’Orient said, “for the creation of a fund dedicated to ethnic and religious diversity, along with a national platform for intercommunal dialogue. These national and international instruments could be supported by various United Nations and European Union agencies. Far from fostering sectarianism, such initiatives would help support a political transition and anchor these minorities within the societies in which they live – thereby safeguarding national stability while strengthening respect for human rights for all.” Diversity and Cultural Memory “This issue concerns the balance, diversity and cultural memory of the Middle East,” the director of the NGO continued. “It also calls Europe’s historical responsibility into question. The presence of these communities is a guarantee of pluralism and democracy. Without substantial support, schools close, young people emigrate, families scatter, and the religious mosaic collapses. An International Day would help make a silent crisis visible, provide concrete support to educational and healthcare institutions, and rebuild bridges between East and West.” For Vincent Gelot, the NGO’s representative in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, the decline in the number of Christians is not an ordinary demographic fact but “a historical and cultural rupture of theological magnitude.” In other words, it reflects the very presence of God in history. Using an expression from Pope Benedict XVI, it amounts to a “spiritual desertification” of the cradle of Christianity – a replacement of one truth about the human person with another. Yet the disappearance of Jesus at the societal level is not a neutral development. It marks the fading of the particular way in which God loved the world in Christ, and of the understanding of humanity imparted by that God – indeed, of an entire anthropology. In many respects, it is the Eastern counterpart to the “death of God” in the West: the irreparable loss of a truth about the human person that no other system of thought can replace. Christian religious authorities have been particularly attentive to the threat to pluralism. “The diversity of religions and ethnic groups has always existed in Syria; we cannot imagine a nation that does not resemble our own,” said Jacques Mourad, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Homs. “Syrians have never been attached to such a traditional form of Islam,” the archbishop added, reflecting on the impact of the rise to power of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. In his view, the social and cultural climate in which Christians had lived for decades has been profoundly altered. Coming Back Down to Earth “Let’s come back down to earth: €18 million for a thousand projects is not much,” Vincent Gelot stressed. “Today, aid depends almost exclusively on private Western donors through the organizations grouped within the ROACO*, and that is clearly insufficient.” “It is high time for the international community to assume its responsibilities and take concrete action on behalf of the ethnic and religious communities in this region, whose very existence is now at stake. Without substantial support, the religious mosaic will collapse. The presence of these communities is a guarantee of pluralism and democracy for our world. An International Day would bring visibility to a silent crisis, provide tangible support to educational and healthcare institutions, and rebuild bridges between East and West. We are calling for immediate mobilization – not to preserve a frozen past, but to keep alive a presence that has contributed to the balance of the Middle East for two millennia.” “These Christian communities are irreplaceable witnesses to the Christianity of the early Church,” Gelot emphasized. “The holy places are here: Jesus and his Apostles walked this land; Tyre and Sidon, now in Lebanon, are mentioned in the Gospels; Saint Paul was converted on the road to Damascus; Saint Peter went to Antioch; and Jordan is home to the site where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. Yet we are seeing Christian communities in these regions pack up and leave. Leaving is unacceptable. Of course, the departure of Christians does not call Christ’s Resurrection into question, but is it not already a theological wound for these communities to lose access to the holy sites? Moreover, their departure is not only a loss for them; it is also a loss for us in the West, because part of our roots, our civilization, our cultural and religious heritage comes from here. It is also a loss for Muslims. The countries of the Middle East must be helped to preserve their mosaic.” Anchoring Minorities “Accordingly,” Vincent Gelot emphasized, “L’Œuvre d’Orient is calling for the swift establishment of mechanisms to support reconciliation and a form of justice adapted for all Syrians. It also recommends the creation of international mechanisms and funding instruments to ensure inclusive reconstruction, along with sustained mobilization by the international community to promote ethnic and religious diversity in Syria.” Gelot concluded: “Far from encouraging sectarianism, such initiatives would help support a political transition and anchor these minorities within the societies in which they live, thereby safeguarding national stability while strengthening respect for human rights for all.” * ROACO: Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (including Aid to the Church in Need, Misereor, the Pontifical Mission, and L’Œuvre d’Orient). Read on the same theme: “Spiritual Desertification” in Syria: A Dire Reality (1/2)

A grave situation is quietly unfolding in the Middle East, the cradle of Christianity. The region is being emptied of its Christian population. Similar processes were observed in Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion and in the Holy Land. Now, Syria is facing the same reality. “The rupture is existential,” says Vincent Gelot, the representative for Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan of L’Œuvre d’Orient, a non-political organization affiliated with the French Catholic Church, which is currently campaigning to establish an International Day for Christians in the Middle East. Using Syria as an example, Vincent Gelot says, "In fourteen years of war (2011–2025), the country has lost nearly 80 percent of its Christian population." Reliable estimates suggest that between 300,000 and 400,000 Syrian Christians remain in a population of roughly 26 to 27 million, he adds. In Aleppo, only about one-sixth of the Christians who lived there before the 2011 war are still present. In Deir Ez-Zor, which has been 75 percent destroyed, the Christian population has fallen to just four, compared with 7,000 before the war. These figures are based on estimates rather than an official census. A reliable source within the secretariat of the Greek Orthodox Church, Syria’s largest church, suggests that the numbers are likely underestimated. However, it didn’t release any official figures. In any case, the exodus is expected to continue as long as political stability does not return and a strong economic recovery fails to materialize, according to a Maronite Church source. In 1905, Christians accounted for about 15 percent of Syria’s population, roughly three million people, compared with 10 percent just before the conflict began in 2011. According to the figures provided by L’Œuvre d’Orient, that share has now dropped to less than 1 percent. “This is a brutal decline that can only be compared to episodes of genocide or ethnic cleansing,” the head of L’Œuvre d’Orient emphasizes. “It is extremely rare for a local, indigenous community – in this case, Christians – to disappear so quickly and so violently.” He adds, “Of the 20 percent who remain, the community is largely elderly. More than half are over 50. In other words, the age pyramid is inverted, with a sharp drop in the number of young people relative to the elderly.” An “Abandoned” Community “Syrian Christians endured the war like the rest of the population, but they were also specifically targeted by ISIS. Structurally unarmed and lacking regional confessional support, the community was left to fend for itself, which explains the brutality of the exodus,” Vincent Gelot says. The June 23, 2025, attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Elias in Damascus, which killed at least 25 people and injured more than 60, starkly illustrates this vulnerability. The Christians exodus has been compounded by three additional factors: the aftermath of the 2023 earthquake, international sanctions imposed on the Assad regime, and mandatory military service, which affected all young Syrians until the regime’s fall (in December 2024). Based in Lebanon for the past ten years, Vincent Gelot, 37 years, lives there with his wife and their four children. He oversees 1,000 projects that sustain the social fabric of the three countries under his responsibility. He did not arrive in the Middle East in a suit and tie. "At 23, with barely a penny to his name, he set off alone in a 4L to encounter a Christian world on the brink of extinction. From the plains of Nineveh to the borders of Afghanistan, his journey lasted two years. This adventure was akin a conversion," writes journalist Guyonne de Montjou, who profiled him for the Aleteia website. Since then, he has risen through the ranks and now oversees, within L’Œuvre d’Orient, nearly 18 million euros a year across the region under his responsibility, supporting hospitals, schools, clinics, refugee centers, support groups, and student incubators. Central Role of Christian Institutions The number of Christians in Syria should not be measured solely by their social and cultural impact. Institutions run by Christian congregations do not serve only Christians; they provide spaces for intercommunal dialogue and foster national cohesion. Their disappearance would greatly weaken the entire social fabric, as well as its openness to modernity. A report by L’Œuvre d’Orient from the summer of 2025 highlights the “deep marginalization, marked by fear and persistent insecurity,” experienced by Christians in Syria and provides recommendations to the international community. “Despite their fragile situation, Christians continue to serve other communities tirelessly. Through their four major hospitals, 57 schools across the country, and a vibrant network of associations, they help support the population and promote a return to employment,” the report states.

« Lebanon does not belong to the Maronites; it is the Maronites who belong to Lebanon »  Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir Saint Maron, whose feast is celebrated on February 9, is not only a religious figure; he is, for the Maronites and for Lebanon, a founding symbol of freedom, faithfulness, and resilience. Rooted in asceticism and prayer in the 4th century, this Syrian hermit inspired a spiritual tradition that spread over centuries and became the Maronite Church: an essential pillar of Lebanese history and a vital force in the construction of a pluralistic identity in the heart of the Middle East.  Throughout the ages, the Maronites have faced trials and persecutions, shaping their identity in the mountains of Mount Lebanon, often on the fringes of great powers but always at the center of the country's religious, cultural, and social life. Their fidelity to faith and values has gone hand in hand with a deep commitment to human freedom and coexistence — a rare message in a region marked by incessant upheavals.  The Maronites have not only survived; they have directly contributed to the birth of what we today call Lebanon . Their historical presence has influenced the political and social development of the country, giving rise to a vision of coexistence between different communities and a unique institutional structure. They built schools, hospitals, universities, and social institutions that supported Lebanese society, often in the absence of a fully organized state. Every stone laid, every child educated, every patient cared for reflects the idea that service to others is an essential dimension of Maronite identity. Internal quarrels and divisions  Yet, this glorious history must not obscure internal challenges. Internal quarrels within the Maronite community – whether political, social, or economic – have sometimes weakened its cohesion. Divisions, amplified by the national context, have fragmented currents of thought and sometimes diverted attention from essential issues. In a Lebanon already weakened by structural crises, these internal tensions have given the impression that the historical legacy of the Maronites was threatened with erosion and that their central role would be diluted in the face of contemporary rivalries. However, history teaches a profound truth: even when difficulties seem insurmountable, societies capable of drawing on their collective memory and founding values can be reborn. The Maronite heritage is far from being a dusty relic of the past; it constitutes a powerful moral and spiritual reserve. The Maronites have resisted adversity for centuries – from medieval persecutions to modern upheavals – without ever denying the essence of their vocation. Today more than ever, this moral courage, this fidelity to human dignity, can be put back at the service of a renewed Lebanon . By reconnecting with the values of freedom, dialogue, and mutual respect that guided their ancestors, the Maronites can help overcome the divisions afflicting the country. This is not a call for uniformity, but for the reaffirmation of a positive and constructive role in a pluralistic society. A link for dialogue  This role is not limited to protecting communal interests. It encompasses a broader responsibility: to be a link, a bridge of dialogue between the different components of the nation, a voice for social justice, a catalyst for harmony in an often-fractured landscape. The Maronites have, in the past, embodied the idea of a Lebanon that could be a space for peaceful coexistence and human creativity. This idea is not dead. It still lives, ready to be intensified by those who want to make it a living reality. The future of the Maronites must not be defined by internal rivalries, but by their ability to transcend these divisions and unite around what matters most: the longevity of Lebanon as a land of welcome, pluralism, and human dignity. Current challenges — whether political, economic, or social — are not insurmountable if the community knows how to draw on its spiritual and moral heritage. The timeless message of Saint Maron, who inspired generations to live with faith and courage, remains relevant today. This message is not confined to the archives of the past: it lives in educational institutions, monasteries, social centers, in every gesture of mutual aid and solidarity. As long as this flame remains, there is a real possibility that the Maronites — and with them all of Lebanon — will rise again, united in diversity, confident in the future . On this day of Saint Maron, let us remember that our heritage is as much a memory as a source of hope. And that the future, despite obstacles, can be written with boldness and lucidity, by drawing on the lessons and sacrifices of the past while looking towards a Lebanon of concord and prosperity.

It is said that one night, when the sands once crossed by the Magi seemed weary of having witnessed so many footsteps passing without ever meeting, a new star began to shine brighter than all the others. Those who were most attentive lifted their heads and sighed as they searched the sky, sensing that something new and mysterious, born of the Great Unknown, was making itself known. The star did not appear over an untouched land. It shone above a Middle East scarred by walls, checkpoints, ruins, conflicting prayers, and thousands of dead, widows, and orphans. At the same moment, in a narrow street of Bethlehem, a family was setting up a small nativity scene in front of their home. Nothing elaborate: burlap salvaged from a rice sack, a few battered plastic figurines, a baby Jesus wrapped in yellowed cloth, sheep without shepherds, and a Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph with faded colors. A boy asked his father: — Dad, why do we still make a nativity scene here? The father answered simply: — Because we are still here, my son. That night, the child saw the new star. It seemed to move slowly, as if waiting for someone to follow it. Far away, a shepherd from the Judean desert was bringing his flock home before nightfall. He had had bad encounters and had heard too many gunshots in recent days. He too looked up. And elsewhere— in Baghdad, Gaza, Amman, East Jerusalem — men and women felt the same unease mixed with a strange calling: not to remain still, to hope against all hope. So they all set out. There were shepherds who entrusted their flocks to others; a schoolteacher who wanted to understand why “the future had packed its bags”; a cobbler from Nazareth whose shop survived mostly on repairs, because no one bought anything new anymore; two brothers separated by a wall but speaking by phone; a shepherd who knew the roads without signs; a bishop; cobblers with hands still full of leather, glue, and dust, telling themselves that tired feet would soon need good sandals; anxious adults carrying questions heavier than their luggage. They met at roadblocks, on overcrowded buses, in waiting rooms. They did not always speak the same language, but they shared the same silence. Along the way, they encountered unexpected figures. They met three wise men who had seen it all. They did not share the same language, the same prayer, or the same clothing. But they were all staring at the same star. A few miles away, in air-conditioned buildings behind reinforced doors, they saw political leaders surrounded by guards and speeches. They were searching for a solution to a riddle dating back to the first Flood. — What are you looking for? the children asked. — The two-state solution, the leaders replied. Then an elderly man dressed in white, bearing a name from the thirteenth century, stepped forward. At his side walked a sage from Al-Azhar. They spoke to each other through understood silences. At last, they all arrived at a very simple place. Not a fortress. Not a citadel. A damaged church in southern Lebanon. A family was living there. They saw a newborn girl whom her parents had affectionately named Hope. The shepherds shared milk and honey. Someone offered olives. The generals and heads of state, for once, fell silent. Coffee was served. Words were exchanged in clusters. The travelers then understood that God is often found where no one thought to look. A journalist covered the event, and a filmmaker took an interest in the story. As for the star, it split into billions of small lights, one for each person setting a wrong right. And the world, slowly, learned to walk again, like a child taking its first steps.

The vocation of the Church, of every Church and of all Churches, is charted by Christ. This vocation is both to be universal and inclusive with the aim of banishing all discrimination. It is to be the leaven in the dough and/or the salt without which all food loses its flavor and becomes inedible. In other words, as salt is made for food, we are not made for ourselves, we are 'beings for others.' This vocation is also to proclaim, through our words and our actions, the 'good news' of Christ. 'The foundational base of a minimal national history' and the beginning of the crystallization of a national identity, observed by historian Candice Raymond, is what we have most precious to offer our compatriots – and we must speak of it indistinctly as Maronites and as Lebanese. This foundation is our pride: it is the beginning of a stable and defined identity that we must protect from anything that could disfigure it. This is particularly what we can offer most precious to a community alienated from this Lebanon by a 'millenarian' political-religious utopia, in the sense that it must be fulfilled within History, and in this specific case, conclude History. The Church has been through this. It condemned Christian 'millenarianism,' and we know all too well, and from experience, how much any utopia engenders terror. But it is better, instead of this demonstration which could be prolonged, to speak of what the Maronites of Lebanon can offer most worthy to their compatriots: altruism. Here's how: No apologetic text says it better than the Letter to Diognetus, a manuscript from apostolic times discovered in Constantinople around 1436, in a fish shop where it served as wrapping paper: 'For Christians are not distinguished from other men by country, nor by language, nor by clothing. They do not inhabit cities of their own, they do not use any extraordinary dialect, their way of life has nothing singular. (...) They reside each in their own homeland, but as resident aliens. They fulfill all their duties as citizens, and bear all burdens as strangers. (...) They marry like everyone else, they have children, but they do not abandon their newborns. (...) They are in the flesh, but do not live according to the flesh. They pass their lives on earth, but are citizens of heaven. They obey the established laws and their manner of life surpasses the laws in perfection. (...) In a word, what the soul is in the body, Christians are in the world. The soul is spread throughout all the members of the body as Christians are in the cities of the world.' The Letter to Diognetus is an excellent illustration of what citizenship should be; most of its criteria can be adopted by any man, any woman. The same applies to many other doctrinal texts that the Church makes available to us, including the Social Doctrine of the Church. For this doctrine, the notions of the dignity of the human person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, subsidiarity in decision-making, and solidarity are essential articulations of social relations, the place par excellence where piety and fidelity to God are played out. At the limit, these are even non-religious texts, in the sense that there is no need to be Christian to draw from them; it's a buffet open to the whole world. Pope Francis' social encyclical Fratelli Tutti is one of these texts accessible to all, without distinction of religious affiliation. This text is a development of the Abu Dhabi Declaration on Human Fraternity co-signed by Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Ahmad el-Tayyeb (2019). By the Pope's own admission, this declaration was born in its broad outlines around a meal to which he had informally invited the Sunni dignitary, after a working meeting at the Vatican library. Pope Francis highlights the concept of social friendship, which is in fact the necessary complement to the concept of citizenship. These elements of Christian doctrine are underpinned by universal values and principles that transcend cultures and eras. When John Paul II said of Lebanon that it 'is much more than a country: it is a message of freedom and an example of pluralism for the East and the West,' this is what he meant: the values embodied and embraced by Lebanon of which we speak, and inscribed in our Constitution, are valid for all, including the Western world, part of which is on the slippery slope of self-referential, atheistic humanism. John Paul II's words emphasize, once and for all, the particular, profound, irreplaceable mission of the land of the cedar: that of being a model of conviviality between the different religious communities that compose it, particularly between Christianity and Islam. However, as John Paul II also affirms, 'man is not the truth, he is in search of the truth.' This is the unshakable philosophical postulate on which Lebanon rests. It is the very foundation of this pluralism that makes it rich, and which is in fact the vocation of any democratic society. It is also the 'missing link' whose existence would allow the principle of secularism in France, which is so close to us culturally and politically, to avoid intolerance, to remain measured. Not that the Church is not the mystical body of Him who said 'I am the Truth,' as every Catholic believes. But the Church also knows, particularly since Vatican II, that 'the Spirit of truth,' God Himself, also acts 'outside the visible boundaries of the Church,' and that He leads to salvation those who, 'through no fault of their own,' and for various reasons, have not known Christ as Christians know Him.