In Beirut a statue remembers John Paul II, Pope of forgiveness and peace
Beirut (AsiaNews) A statue in memory of John Paul II's 1997 trip to Lebanon was unveiled yesterday in the gardens of the Church of St. Elias in al-Kantari, on Beirut's waterfront, not far from where the Holy Father celebrated mass.
Organised by Télé-Lumière, the ceremony took place during a mass celebrated by Beirut's Maronite bishop, Boulos Matar, who had coordinated the Pope's visit, in the presence of representatives of all the Patriarchs, many bishops, political leaders and about 5,000 faithful.
During his historic visit to the land of the cedar trees in May 1997, Pope John Paul II pronounced prophetic words: "Your country needs to convert. Only when your hearts convert can you fight disappointment, anguish, desperation." "It is up to you, Lebanese, to break down the false barriers built during the dramatic phases of Lebanon's history." And "it is your duty to rebuild bridges where Lebanon's various religious and political communities can meet." It is in light of such words that one can read all the speeches delivered during the event in question.
After reading the telegram sent by pope Benedict XVI for the occasion, Mgr Luigi Gatti, apostolic nuncio to Lebanon, reiterated in his speech "the attachment of the Holy See and the Pope to the religious and historical values of Lebanon which have made this small country more than a country but a 'message'."
Mgr Gatti spoke about what made John Paul II a great Pope, one "of forgiveness, a man who experienced faith through prophetic gestures, who had the gift of being loved, respected and admired by communities, youth and the sick," a Pope who "greeted the world from the window of his sickbed and was not ashamed to show himself sick and old."
During the homily, Mgr Paul Matar stressed the importance that the unveiling coincided with Pentecost. This was evidence that John Paul II was "not only an apostle for the Church, but for the whole of humanity". He was the pastor of Pentecost.
The bishop insisted on the great Pope's role in history, how he devoted his pontificate to spreading and defending two fundamental values: "ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue".
"He was," the prelate said, "a pope who was able to attract everyone and is now an integral part of humanity's universal heritage".
Mgr Matar called on everyone to "discover the richness of this heritage, which will never die but always be."
Beirut's Muslim mayor, Abd El Monhem El Ariss, stressed the importance of the place where the Pope celebrated mass, once a place of hatred and death, which the Pope turned into a place of meeting, tolerance, and renewal.
The major said he would work to find solutions to all problems that might exist between the city and places of worship in order to maintain the religious character of this city which is a bridge between East and West.
Mgr Roland Abou Jaude, vicar general of Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, said that John Paul II's pontificate was "the most important in the history of today's Church". He reiterated the Maronite Church's faithfulness to the See of St Peter and pledged that it would continue to apply the post-synodal apostolic Exhortation 'New Hope for Lebanon'.
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