Speech of Rev. Joseph Kassab
December 01, 2025 · 17:24
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV,
Welcome to Lebanon… This small country, worn by wars and pressures, yet still carrying in its wounds a profound longing for peace. A land that has learned much from suffering, but has never lost hope, for here it is part of the people’s very identity, not merely a virtue.
We receive you today not only as the head of the Catholic Church, but also as a leader of a nation guided not by economic calculations or ambitions of power, but by a spirit rooted in the words of Christ: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Your presence among us reminds Lebanon that there are still nations built on values rather than interests, and where the dignity of every human being comes first.
On behalf of the Protestant churches in Lebanon, we welcome you and express our appreciation for Your visit, a support to a people longing to catch their breath. As you know, we share the same concern and mission: that Lebanon remains a space of freedom and dignity, a home that protects diversity rather than fears it.
Your Holiness,
In recent years, the Catholic Church has spoken of Synodality, as in walking together, listening to one another, and discovering the voice of the Spirit in our diversity. This concept does not only concern the Church; it can be an invitation for all of Lebanon.
If our leaders walked together… If we listened to one another sincerely… It would be easier to hear the pain of our people, and we would realize that the path to peace is not an unattainable dream, but a daily practice beginning with trust.
We hope that Your visit will be an invitation for all confessions in Lebanon to embrace a national Synodality: to walk together for Lebanon, the Lebanon of mission, a country that cannot afford the luxury of division, yet holds the rare opportunity to demonstrate that plurality is a blessing.
You arrive in a country eager to relearn how to build peace, not merely how to survive war. We pray with you, for you, and for the Lebanon that you carry today in Your prayers.
We welcome you.
President of Council includes all the Evangelical churches in Lebanon and Syria
Rev. Joseph Kassab
Welcome to Lebanon… This small country, worn by wars and pressures, yet still carrying in its wounds a profound longing for peace. A land that has learned much from suffering, but has never lost hope, for here it is part of the people’s very identity, not merely a virtue.
We receive you today not only as the head of the Catholic Church, but also as a leader of a nation guided not by economic calculations or ambitions of power, but by a spirit rooted in the words of Christ: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” Your presence among us reminds Lebanon that there are still nations built on values rather than interests, and where the dignity of every human being comes first.
On behalf of the Protestant churches in Lebanon, we welcome you and express our appreciation for Your visit, a support to a people longing to catch their breath. As you know, we share the same concern and mission: that Lebanon remains a space of freedom and dignity, a home that protects diversity rather than fears it.
Your Holiness,
In recent years, the Catholic Church has spoken of Synodality, as in walking together, listening to one another, and discovering the voice of the Spirit in our diversity. This concept does not only concern the Church; it can be an invitation for all of Lebanon.
If our leaders walked together… If we listened to one another sincerely… It would be easier to hear the pain of our people, and we would realize that the path to peace is not an unattainable dream, but a daily practice beginning with trust.
We hope that Your visit will be an invitation for all confessions in Lebanon to embrace a national Synodality: to walk together for Lebanon, the Lebanon of mission, a country that cannot afford the luxury of division, yet holds the rare opportunity to demonstrate that plurality is a blessing.
You arrive in a country eager to relearn how to build peace, not merely how to survive war. We pray with you, for you, and for the Lebanon that you carry today in Your prayers.
We welcome you.
President of Council includes all the Evangelical churches in Lebanon and Syria
Rev. Joseph Kassab