Pope Francis cries out for truth and justice with relatives of Beirut explosion victims

On the morning of this Monday, August 26, Pope Francis received the relatives of the victims of the explosion that took place in the port of Beirut, capital of Lebanon, in 2020 at the Vatican.

From the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father assured the relatives that he has prayed “a lot” for the victims of this serious explosion caused by the fire in an unattended warehouse where a shipment of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate was stored, and which caused 200 dead and more than 4,000 injured.

In his speech, the Pontiff looked at the people who lost their lives and assured that “the Heavenly Father knows their faces, one by one, they are before Him,” and he especially remembered “little Alexandra,” a victim of this tragedy.

He then called for “truth and justice” and stressed that the issue “is complicated and thorny,” since “competing powers and interests weigh on it.”

“But truth and justice must prevail above all. Four years have passed; The Lebanese people, and you first of all, have the right to words and actions that demonstrate responsibility and transparency,” the Holy Father stated.

Pope Francis’ words refer to the lack of clarity on the part of the authorities, as well as the lack of aid and compensation to the victims’ families.

Later, the Pontiff showed his closeness to all those who are suffering the effects of the escalation of the war: “With you I feel the pain of continuing to see, every day, so many innocent people die, because of the war in your region, in Palestine and Israel, and Lebanon, which pays the price,” he lamented.

“With you I implore from Heaven the peace that men fight to build on earth. I implore you for the Middle East and for Lebanon. “Lebanon is, and must continue to be, a project of peace,” said the Holy Father.

According to the Holy Father, the vocation of this country is to be a land “where diverse communities coexist, putting the common good before individual advantages, where different religions and confessions meet in fraternity.”

Likewise, he expressed the closeness of the entire Church and thanked them for the help they receive from their pastors.

“You are not alone and we will not leave you alone, but we will continue to be in solidarity with you through prayer and concrete charity,” he stressed.

It should be remembered that a few days after the explosion, Pope Francis made a donation of 250,000 euros to the Church in Lebanon to meet the needs of those affected.

“In you I see the dignity of faith, the nobility of hope. Like the dignity and nobility of the cedar, symbol of your country. The cedars invite us to look up, towards Heaven: our hope is in God, the hope that does not disappoint” he then noted.

Finally, he asked that the Virgin Mary, from her sanctuary in Harissa, where Our Lady of Lebanon is located, “always watch over you and the Lebanese people.”