Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Pope's Secretary of State, currently visiting Jordan, spoke on the phone with the new Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, on the afternoon of January 13, 2025, the Holy See reported.
On the same day, the Vatican official convened a meeting of papal reps from Middle Eastern countries in Amman, to discuss the grave humanitarian situation in the region.
Four days after Joseph Aoun's election, which ended a presidential vacancy of over two years, Cardinal Parolin congratulated the new 61-year-old head of state and expressed his best wishes. He also welcomed the swift appointment of Nawaf Salam as Prime Minister on Monday.
Lebanon has been without a head of state since the term of the last president expired on October 31, 2022. This serious political crisis has been a major concern for the Holy See, which sees Lebanon as having a crucial role in the region.
On December 13, during a visit to the Vatican by the interim Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, the Holy See expressed its concern about the economic and social difficulties of the Lebanese population and the prolonged delay in electing a president.
Addressing Lebanese politicians at the Angelus address on December 1, Pope Francis launched an “urgent appeal” to elect a president.
As recently as last Thursday, while the election was taking place, the Pope delivered his New Year's address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, expressing his fervent wish for “institutional stability” in the Land of Cedars and the implementation of the Constitution and the Taif Accords - the treaty signed to end the civil war in 1975.
He also called for the reconstruction of the southern part of the territory affected by the two months of open warfare between Israel and Hezbollah.
The arrival of the new Lebanese president could revive plans for a papal visit to Lebanon. In April 2022, the then president, Michel Aoun, announced that the Pope would visit his country in June. In the end, the Holy See declined the invitation. Michel Aoun's departure in the autumn of 2022 buried hopes of a papal visit to the Land of the Cedars.
Middle East nuncios summoned
On Monday in Jordan, Cardinal Parolin also chaired a meeting of the Vatican's “ambassadors” - nuncios or apostolic delegates - to the countries of the Middle East, namely Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the sources of crises in the region, according to a Holy See press release.
Participants discussed the political and ecclesial situation in each country, as well as “the grave humanitarian situations” suffered by the populations most affected by the conflicts.
The diplomats called for “solidarity” from the international community and a ceasefire on all fronts, so that the Middle East can become “a land of peace.”
They also stressed the role of Christians - who have fled en masse in recent decades - in ensuring fraternal coexistence in these countries.
