Hopes for a miracle as Cardinal Mamberti arrives in Lebanon
Beirut (AsiaNews) - Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, the current prefect of the Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura and former head of the Vatican's relations with States is in Lebanon. The Vatican official arrived in Beirut at the invitation of the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Rai, and will remain in the capital for a week of talks with civil and religious leaders about the question of the election of the President of the Republic and the situation of Christians in general .
It is expected that he will meet the Speaker of the House, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and, discreetly, will hold talks with other officials and politicians.
On Wednesday Card. Mamberti will be present at a general meeting of the patriarchs and bishops of the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox bishops to be held in Bkerke. Together with the relevant prelates he will also address the situation of the ecclesiastical courts.
Yesterday, the Cardinal, who is staying at the Apostolic Nunciature, in Harissa, visited to the patriarchal see of Bkerke, along with the Nuncio Gabriele Caccia, and tomorrow is slated to concelebrate the solemn Mass closing the month of Mary in the Basilica of Harissa.
From Bkerke Card. Mamberti said he was happy to return to a nation where he served as adviser of the nunciature from 1996 to 1999 and which he had visited as Secretary for Relations with States. "In the course of a few days that I will have in Lebanon - he said - I have many fraternal meetings with a number of personalities. In this we have to see the expression of the interest and concern of the Holy Father, who closely follows the course of events in Lebanon and the Middle East. Hopefully, with the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and the saints of Lebanon, this country will remain stable and on a social level, custody its true face, which is one of coexistence and a shared commitment for the common good".
"I dedicate the days I spend here - he concluded - to Our Lady of Lebanon, and thank the Patriarch Rai again for this invitation, not forgetting to express my joy to once again meet Patriarch Sfeir, whom I came to know well during Pope John Paul II’s visit to Lebanon. I bring you, finally, the Pope's apostolic blessing for Lebanon, which holds a special place in his heart".
.png)
