On Thursday December 11, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received  at the Presidential Palace in Baabda a delegation of the Middle East Council of Church (MECC) led by MECC Secretary General Professor Michel Abs.

During the visit, President Aoun stressed that the visit of Holy Father Leo XIV was neither confined  to the Church of Lebanon nor to the Lebanese, but rather for all the Christians of the East who are the sons and daughters of this land in which they are embodied.

He called on the MECC to strive to ensure that the Christian presence in the East is active, influential and steadfast, while serving the cause of humanity at present and in the future.

In his address, Professor Abs said, "We wanted to come to you in the company of the entire members of the MECC so that you could meet the leaders of the churches of the Middle East and get acquitted with them."

He added, "The MECC's leadership embodies the values, history, and culture of their respective churches, while embodying ecumenical values, namely the values ​​of openness, dialogue, and respect for diversity. These are the leaders who embraced ecumenism a long time ago and dedicated themselves to adhering to its principles. They are leaders who are fully aware of their diversity, yet coexist within the unity of spirit and faith. They are Christian leaders, steadfast in their faith, in spite of the difficulties and suffering. But this faith, as I mentioned to you during my first visit, is not directed against others, but rather it  is in association with others."

He continued, "These leaders hold the deepest affection for Lebanon and consider it as their own homeland. Every Christian in the region, and I would say that several Muslims in our Arab region, look to Lebanon as a beacon of aspiration and yearn to either visit it or settle there.

Stressing that Lebanon is a haven of freedom, dialogue, and interaction as it never ceased to be the symbol and model to which people aspire, despite all the crises and hardships it has gone through, he said that "the MECC has also helped the displaced who arrived in Lebanon and in some other Middle Eastern countries, through coordination with United Nations agencies and relevant international organizations.”

He went on to say, "Our churches in the region are homes for people, while serving as beacons exuding love and culture to their environs… Our churches aspire for the entrenchment of stability that the regions is bereft of which is the essential condition for growth and prosperity, and consequently, for the well-being and advancement of our peoples. Consequently, we look forward with great hope and optimism to a stable Lebanon, a country that is moving steadily towards durable stability, with promising future prospects. The visit of His Holiness the Pope to Lebanon was one of the signs and milestones of hope that Lebanon needs."

On the other hand, President Aoun welcomed the delegation, noting that in his addresses, at the United Nations and during welcoming His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at Baabda Palace, he underlined the importance of preserving human freedom and dignity in their capacity as sacred rights and values which unite us. He added, "Unfortunately, some distorted religion by exploiting it for political objectives or for inciting sectarian and denominational conflicts to further their own political agendas."

He added, "Your presence is important as it conveys a unified message for the good of humanity, especially in our region, given its current suffering. Undoubtedly, the Holy Father's visit was neither confined for the Church of Lebanon nor for the Lebanese people, but rather for all Christians of the East, who are not merely figures or percentages, but rather the children of this land in which they are embodied.

Noting that the MECC "mission is to entrench the Christian presence in the East, by making it active, influential, and steadfast in serving the cause of humanity at the present and in the future, he concluded his address saying, "We must capitalize on His Holiness the Pope’s visit to Lebanon and the region, in order to serve the entire suffering region, so that the positive atmosphere instilled by the visit does not dissipate. We all hope that will altogether understand the implications of this visit and set it as a basis for preserving human dignity."