The cedar of Lebanon flew high at the Youth Jubilee, with hundreds of young Christians from the country in attendance. For them, the trip was a major investment, but also and above all, an opportunity to bear witness to the vitality and resilience of their country, marked by so many difficulties but also by a deep faith.
Among the 750 young women members of the Lebanese Scouts and Guides Association, 66 of them — nearly 10% of the total membership — were able to make the trip to Rome, in a group together with nine young Syrian Catholics. It was a moving and unprecedented experience for many.
“Of the 75 young people in our group, only two had traveled before. For all the others, it was their first time leaving the country, seeing other young people, other Christians,” said their leader, Bishop Jules Boutros, Syro-Catholic bishop of the Patriarchate of Antioch.
Born in December 1982, this former student in Italy, who introduces himself simply as “Bishop Giulio,” is the second youngest Catholic bishop in the world.
"Lebanon is a holy land. Jesus set foot on our soil, but we are suffering. Coming here to see the basilicas, the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul, will help us bring hope back to Lebanon. The Church is beautiful when it is universal, united in faith with Jesus and the Holy Father," he explains.
Rita, 22, a marketing student and member of the Saint Charbel Association, is from the Achrafieh neighborhood of Beirut. She was particularly touched by Rome's cultural richness.
“I didn’t find the image of a de-Christianized Europe at all. On the contrary, there are so many of us gathered here together to pray, and it warms the heart,” she explains.
“We are resilient”
Carelle, 18, originally from Aleppo in Syria, has been living in Lebanon for several years, but this Youth Jubilee was her first trip to Europe.
“We’ve been talking about this Jubilee all year long, we’ve been waiting so long for this day! I’m very moved to learn so many new things and make all these new friends,” the young woman explains. “This trip is giving me a different view of the world, and I feel stronger in my relationship with God. All young people around the world should be able to have this experience at least once in their lives."
Tracy, who has already been to Rome several times, admits that times are tough in Lebanon.
“We are living in difficult times, with many wars in the region, but we are resilient, we are strong, we are the youth of God, we are hope,” she explains, emphasizing the patriotic spirit of young Christians in Lebanon, who are proud to carry their flag and talk about their country to young people of other nationalities.
Charbel, who runs the Eastern Christians page on Instagram with his twin brother, explains that this gathering “shows that Jesus keeps young people in his heart. We are the next generation, called to build the Church,” insists the young Lebanese man. “In the crowds, we see many flags from the Middle East. This is essential because we have been fighting for our faith for 2,000 years, and it is very important for us to bear witness to this to young people from other countries."
As for a regional gathering, this influencer, who is becoming increasingly well known in Lebanon and beyond, is giving serious thought to the idea. “I am thinking about organizing a WYD for young Christians in the Middle East in Lebanon … if that is what Jesus wants, he will make it happen!” he says with confidence.
Syrians
Meanwhile for young Syrians at the Jubilee, the road from Damascus to Rome is a challenge.
Despite the image of violence often associated with their country, Christians from Syria who came to the Youth Jubilee are eager to share their hope for a better future. Aleteia met with young people from Syria who were accompanied by the Vincentian Marian Youth.
Syria's new flag, with its three stars, intrigues the young people and leads to conversation with this group of 12 young people, accompanied by a priest.
Nawal, a lively English teacher, delighted to be able to communicate easily with young people from all over the world, explains that this trip to Rome was “a challenge” because these young people were afraid that their visas would be refused by the Italian embassy in Damascus. “It's not easy for Syrians to leave the country because the situation is unstable under the regime,” she explains, nearly eight months after the change of government. “But we continue to pray for a better Syria!” she assures us.
“It's a great adventure and a great opportunity for us to represent our country, to make it known to young people from other nations, and then to be able to return to Syria to share what we experienced at the Jubilee,” she explains. “We are doing our best in our communities to participate in the reconstruction of the country, to make our country better."
"It is our homeland, it is our land, we don’t want to leave,” insists Jemma, a communications student. “We Christians have many Muslim friends, we live in harmony with them. We want to build a new country,” she explains, pointing out that after the attacks and bombings, Mass continued and Christians never stopped gathering in churches to pray.
Olga, 30, is trained as a computer engineer but now runs a bakery in Damascus. "The situation is still unstable: one day things seem to be getting better, the next day they're worse … We don't know. But we hope for the best. We are here to pray for our country."
