Order of Malta Lebanon: Pope’s visit offers message of support and hope

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

Israeli military strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday in southern Lebanon reportedly killed at least 14 people and injured several others, including students travelling in a school bus.

Despite a recent ceasefire, the country’s population continues to struggle under the weight of the conflict and of several other crises that have emerged in recent decades.

From the arrival of over 1 million Syrian refugees to the 2019 economic catastrophe, to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 Beirut Port explosion, these issues continue to have a large impact on the nation today.

As Lebanon prepares to welcome Pope Leo XIV from November 30 to December 2 during the second leg of his first Apostolic Visit abroad, Oumayma Farah, Director of Development and Communications of the Order of Malta Lebanon, spoke to Vatican News.

She laid out the dire humanitarian situation that has seen little improvement in the last years and emphasized the hope that Pope Leo’s visit will bring.

With a schedule filled with significant events, she believes his presence will show his closeness to those who have suffered and encourage the population, especially the Christian communities and young people, to be resilient and want to work for a better future.

Read the full text of Farah’s interview below.

Q: Lebanon has faced several crises in the last decades, and still today, the situation remains fragile. Could you give us an overview of what the humanitarian situation looks like on the ground?

The humanitarian situation hasn’t improved much in the last 6 years since the socioeconomic crisis and the multiple crises that followed after 2019. There was the Beirut explosion in 2020 and the conflict with Israel in 2024, all of this amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and also the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon.

Today, the situation hasn’t evolved; on the contrary, it has gotten worse because of the latest war, which will have repercussions for decades to come. There has been a lot of destruction, be it in the suburbs of Beirut, in the south of the country or in the Bekaa area. This influences the rest of the country and the economic situation on the whole. There are also more than 100,000 people who have been displaced and cannot return to their homes due to the conflict.

Most importantly, there has also been a decrease in international funds to help Lebanon. For example, the UNHCR has cut support for Syrian refugees in the country.

Q: A ceasefire was signed between Israel and Lebanon a year ago, in November 2024, but tensions remain high and several violations have occurred. Has the situation changed in the last year for the Lebanese population?

The situation has not evolved because this war came amidst all the crises that had been accumulating over the past 6 years. I would also say over the past 50 years, because since the Civil War started in Lebanon [that lasted from 1975 to 1990, editor’s note], we have seen several conflicts and crises.

There are still tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. A lot of people are unable to go back to their homes, especially on the southern border. Since the ceasefire was signed, there have reportedly been more than 100 breaches, especially in the south. The Order of Malta, for example, has a center in the village of Yaroun, which is right on the southern border, that we cannot access anymore, and we don’t know when we will be able to reach it again.

As we speak, I can hear the drones, and the entire population is always living under stress and fear, not knowing when the next escalation might happen. Everyone has their suitcases ready to flee in case the conflict starts again.

Definitely, things have gotten worse on the humanitarian and socioeconomic side, but we still have some hope, given some changes we have seen regionally and nationally. We now have a new president of the Republic and a new government. We have also seen changes in neighbouring Syria.

Q: What have been the reactions to the announcement of Pope Leo’s visit?

The announcement of Pope Leo’s visit is definitely a message of hope for the entire region, because let’s not forget that Lebanon, this tiny country, is at the door of the Middle East. It is a bridge between the East and the West, between European culture and Middle Eastern culture.

Christians, be it in Syria, in Jordan, in Iraq, in Israel or in Palestine, are diminishing. Even though in Lebanon they have decreased, they are still a big part of the population, and they are free. They have a big role to play as a pillar for all Christians in the Holy Land, the land of Christ, where he preached, where his mother waited for him in Maghdouché [a Marian shrine in southern Lebanon, said to be where Mary waited for Jesus while he was in Tyre and Sidon, editor’s note].

Pope Leo’s visit – especially being his first international journey and the fact that he chose to come to Lebanon – is a huge message of support for these communities.

Q: What impact do you think this trip could have in promoting peace and stability in Lebanon and in the whole region?

The trip is also a message of stability for Lebanon and the people in the region; it’s a message of courage and of strengthening the faith. I think his visit also echoes that of John Paul II when he said that Lebanon is not a nation but a message to the world. 

If you look at the schedule for the trip, every event has a powerful meaning. For example, the ecumenical and interreligious meeting [that will take place on December 1 at Martyrs’ Square in Beirut, editor’s note], echoes the Declaration on Human Fraternity signed by the late Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar. Lebanon is a land where this coexistence is not just on paper; it is lived every day by the people. The Order of Malta, for example, works hand in hand with all religious denominations.

Q: The Pope will also pray at the site of the 2020 Beirut Port explosion. What do you think is the significance of this?

I think this is a very important event and a powerful stop. Even more so because it will be a silent prayer. In front of suffering, there are no words. It will be a moment of prayer for the families that have lost loved ones and also for justice, because let’s not forget that today, almost six years after the explosion, justice has not yet been served to the people who have lost everything.

Another important moment will be his meeting with the young people in Bkerke. The youth have emigrated in the last 6 years because of the lack of opportunities. The Pope talking to them will bring a message of hope and resilience. It will be a call for the people to believe in this country and to stay here to build a real nation.

Also, his stop at the De La Croix Hospital in Jal Ed Dib will be significant. He will be visiting the fifth floor which we call the ‘Pavillion Saint-Dominique’. We work closely there with the Sisters of the Cross and the other volunteers. Those who live there are physically and mentally disabled, so they are some of the most marginalized people in society. Often, they have been abandoned even by their own families. They are cared for by the sisters.

And, of course, his stop at the tomb of St. Charbel Makluf will be important because he is a saint who is known internationally, not just by the Lebanese. The Pope is putting his shrine on the international map, so this is very significant.  

Q: What kind of work has the Order of Malta been doing to help the population face the various crises affecting the country?

The Order of Malta has been present in Lebanon for the past 60 years and very strongly in the remote regions and areas since the 1980s. We have strengthened a lot of our work since the beginning of the crises in 2019. Today, we have 60 projects and programs all over the territory in three main sectors. The first is primary health care; we are leaders in terms of subsidized consultations, and we cover approximately 20% of the need.

People cannot afford to go to private clinics and, as the state does not offer such services, they come to the civil society, which has been playing a big role in accompanying the population. Today, from 70 to 80% of the population has fallen into poverty, and most of these are the middle class. We are standing by the vulnerable populations, as we are apolitical and open to everyone. We work according to our motto, “I ask not about your race, color or religion, but tell me what is your suffering.”

We are also in the social care sector. We help the elderly, children, and also the most marginalized, meaning those who have disabilities. Last but not least, we have also, in the last four years, gone into the food security and agriculture sector. We have seven centers across the country.

We support small farmers to not only give them a means to eat and sustain themselves and be economically autonomous, but also to anchor them in their land. This is what is important in the Order of Malta’s work: it is not just a humanitarian or a development response; it’s also a way of protecting what St. John Paul II said, that Lebanon is a message to the world. We are trying to give people the opportunity to stay on their land.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.