Hariri: pope's visit to Lebanon sign of hope

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Saturday that the upcoming visit by Pope Benedict XVI is a sign of hope for Lebanon and that its success will shed light on the coexistence in the country between Christians and Muslims. “We welcome this visit and see in it a sign of hope for ‘Lebanon the message,’ as described by the late Pope Jean Paul II, because wherever the pope goes he carries with him a message of love and peace,” Hariri said in a statement. “I am confident that the visit by His Holiness will increase the conviction of the Lebanese people in the civilized and humane meaning of their nation and its role in this East, and in the importance of the partnership it is based on, which was and should always be stronger than all misfortunes that beset this country,” he added. The pope is scheduled to arrive in Lebanon on Sept. 14 to deliver the 2010 special Synod of Bishops document dedicated to Christians in the Middle East. He is expected to meet with officials and religious figures from various communities in order to send a message of peace to the region and emphasize the need for coexistence between Muslims and Christians. “I pray to God Almighty to make [the visit] successful because its success will be a success for the Lebanese formula, in which the Muslims are as keen on [preserving] the Christian presence as the Christians themselves are,” Hariri said. He added that the success of the visit would also emphasize the importance of what he described as the country’s democratic experience, which has seen various sects come together to put an end to oppression and tyranny. Hariri, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, added that the pope’s three-day visit would further strengthen ties between Lebanon and the Vatican, which are “based on the values of justice, equality and freedom.” During his visit to the Vatican in 2012, Hariri said he “felt that the Vatican is keen to preserve the Lebanese experience, which the world needs as a model for dialogue and convergence of civilizations and religions.” From DailyStar