The Apostolic nuncio, Paolo Borgia, meets with Shiite religious authorities in the south of Lebanon, and encounters a group of refugees hosted by a Maronite community,.
By Salvatore Cernuzio “Deserted areas with not a living soul,” “rubble everywhere,” “a painful silence broken only by mortar fire.” That's how the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, described the scenes of devastation he witnessed during his journey from Beirut to the south of Lebanon, which took him as far as the Blue Line, the border that separates the Land of the Cedars from Israel on March 16. Up to the border The reason for the archbishop’s journey was to deliver humanitarian aid, along with a “message of closeness, peace, and hope,” as he told Vatican News. It is the second time in just a few days that the papal representative has visited villages that are Christian, Muslim, or mixed. These towns are currently under Israeli bombardment, caught in the crossfire between Israel and Hezbollah. Archbishop Borgia traveled to Rmeish, Debel, and Ain Ebel on this mission, where a humanitarian convoy from Caritas Solidarity – L’Œuvre d’Orient arrived with six trucks carrying various supplies and medicines. Just as he had done the week before on March 13, the nuncio himself helped unload and carry boxes and bags for these people, worn down by bombs and fear. The closeness of the Pope and the universal Church Speaking with Vatican News on the phone, Archbishop Borgia recounted meeting with the Christian communities. “I visited several shelters hosting refugees from nearby villages, first and foremost to bring a message of closeness—a closeness of the heart, the closeness of the Holy Father, of the universal Church, of the Lebanese Church, and of all those who today stand by the Lebanese people living through this time of war,” he said. The nuncio also delivered a “message of peace” at each stop of the journey. “I recalled the words of the Pope’s appeal last Sunday at the Angelus,” he explained. “Pope Leo XIV amplified the cry for peace voiced by Middle Eastern Christians and all men and women of goodwill. I also brought a message of hope, that flame which continues to shine even in moments of darkness like these.” Among the refugees On his way back to Beirut, Archbishop Borgia stopped in Tyre—rich in biblical memory, like Sidon—to visit Sheikh Rabbi Akhbeisi, a Shiite religious leader, and a group of refugees hosted by a Maronite religious community. He shared that he also wanted to reassure them of “our solidarity.” Moreover, the nuncio stressed that “the war has severe consequences for villages—whether Christian, mixed, or Muslim. Many people have been forced to leave their homes.” Recent estimates speak of some one million displaced persons since the outbreak of this new wave of violence in the Middle East, triggered by the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran. The far South Archbishop Borgia also visited Ain Ebel, where recently an Israeli drone killed three men who were carrying out repairs outside. He also stopped in Rmeish—the most southern municipality in Lebanon—where the Maronite priest Father Toni Elias serves as parish priest, and where equally courageous residents have refused to abandon their land even during the most intense phases of last year’s war. Now, however, there is a renewed escalation of attacks and bombardments; the danger is growing, as is fear for an increasingly uncertain future. “This is war,” the nuncio said.