The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, and Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, lamented the death on Monday of Pope Francis, a defender of unity between religious communities and an ally that “always” prayed for Lebanon in his difficult times, such as the war last year.
“In Lebanon, the nation of diversity, we regret the loss of a dear friend and faithful party. The late Pope always had Lebanon in his heart and in his prayers, and repeatedly asked the world to support Lebanon during his difficult situation,” Aoun said in a statement.
“We will never forget their repeated calls to protect Lebanon, and preserve their identity and diversity,” added the head of state.
On the other hand, in another note of condolences, the Lebanese prime minister described the Pope as a man “of peace”, humble, close and inclined towards the poor, while recognizing that with his death the Lebanon has lost a “strong support.”
In line with the words of Aoun, the Head of Government also thanked how the religious leader “was always next to Lebanon,” for which he asked to pray in various sermons and interventions, and even expressed intention to visit in recent years.
“How to forget your visits to the last corners of the Earth in defense of true fraternity and the consecration of the interreligious dialogue? That is what Lebanon has as an advantage, the ability and uniqueness of being cozy and worthy of this dialogue,” Salam settled.
Although Lebanon has not made an official census in almost a century, various estimates suggest that Christians represent at least 30 and 40 % of the population, the majority being the Maronita, Catholic not Roman but recognizes the Pope as his visible head.
Francisco died at 88 at 7.35 hours (5.35 GMT) on Monday at his residence in the Santa Marta house.
Switzerland Protestant Church: Pope Francis gave the institution a kind face
The president of the renovated Evangelical Church of Switzerland, Pastor Rita Famos, highlighted the figure of the late Pope Francis on Monday, who stressed that her pontificate was marked by “renewal and hope”, which contributed to the Catholic Church adopting a “friendly” face.
Under their papacy, “women were promoted to management positions, and church officials who were not acceptable were dismissed,” the first woman president of the Swiss Protestant communities recalled in a statement.
Famos also recalled the commitment of the Argentine Pope for social justice and his clear positioning in matters such as migration and poverty, “which left a deep mark in the image of the Catholic Church in recent years.”
Pope Francis visited the Swiss city of Geneva in June 2018, on a trip marked by the interest of the Pontiff in approaching the non-Christian Catholic communities, precisely in one of the cities symbol of Protestantism for the great influence on it of the theologian Juan Calvino (1509-1564).
During that trip he visited the World Council of Iglesias, being the first Pope to participate directly in activities of that ecumenical organism, which the Catholic Church is not affiliated.
With EFE information.
You may be interested: Trump, UN and leaders of the world transmit their condolences for the death of Pope Francis
