Pope Francis met with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Saad Rafic Hariri, with whom he joked during the official photo shoot.
“Now the torture of taking photos.”
The pope thanked the prime minister that his country welcomes refugees from Syria and Iraq. The two also discussed the situation in the Middle East, and the importance of collaboration between Christians and Muslims for peace. They emphasized the decisive role of Christians in those areas, and the need to find a fair and comprehensive solution to the conflicts in the region.
When the two exchanged gifts, Hariri gave the pope a chain with a cross and Pope Francis presented the prime minister with an olive tree, symbolizing peace.
“We really need peace in our region.”
The Lebanese Prime Minister did not want to leave without first stopping to look at the Apostolic Palace. With the help of a translator, he thanked the pope for all of his work.
“May the Lord help you because the work you do is very great.”
In Lebanon, according to the Constitution, the president of the country ought to be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim, the president of parliament a Shiite Muslim. In this way, the entire Lebanese population is represented, and stability is guaranteed.
