Prayers for peace with the Virgin Mary for Lebanon, 23 May 2026.

May 28
6 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

It is a great blessing for me to acknowledge the presence of leaders from our religious communities, Christian and Muslim, and the Faithful who have joined us this evening, and the distinguished guests.

Dear Friends, Peace be with you.

Throughout his pontificate, the third longest in papal history, Pope St John Paul II, was unfailing in his support of Lebanon and the Lebanese people. In his 1989 Letter to the Lebanese Catholic bishops, he described Lebanon not so much as “a country, but as a message”. And most of us are but a generation or so removed from the time when Lebanon was indeed a universal message of peaceful co-existence and fraternal harmony; a cosmopolitan meeting place between east and west.

The 2012 apostolic journey of Pope Benedict XVI, of blessed memory, was intended by him to be an open and unequivocal sign of his support and encouragement of Lebanon, and Middle Eastern Christianity, as irreplaceable components in the region. It was in Lebanon that he signed the Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Medio Oriente, The Church in the Middle East.

Pope Leo XIV in the first year of his pontificate repeatedly called for peace in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East. It was in November 2025, that Pope Leo XIV made his first international journey, and that to Lebanon and but a few days ago, in Rome, he assured the Armenian Catholicos Aram the first of his prayerful support for Lebanon.

In one grammatical form or another, the word peace occurs some ninety-two times in the New Testament; and especially significant are the occasions when it is spoken by our Lord, Jesus Christ himself. Our Lord often used peace as a greeting as was the custom amongst the covenantal people. And we recall that the traditional greeting in Islam, the double invocation of peace, upon those greeted and those greeting, is the most precious gift one Muslim can wish upon another.

Perhaps we have become so used to the scriptural texts that the word peace becomes lost on the page, that is until we do not have peace, when we are denied that most desired blessing.

Given that the temptation for those in power is to behave in a less than ideal way, St Paul writes to Timothy,

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1Tim 2:1-2)

And it is because of the proven power of prayer that we are gathered here tonight, in Beit Maroun, knowing full well that sincere prayer passes quickly through the Gate of Heaven. And as we speak of the power of prayer, I would note with great joy the news that His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, has approved the recognition of a miracle wrought through intercessions of the Venerable Patriarch Elias Hoyek, now blessed Patriarch Hoyek. We look forward to the celebrations of the beatification of Venerable Patriarch Elias Hoyek and we offer our warmest best wishes to the worldwide Maronite community, and especially the Sisters of the Holy Family, the Religious Community founded by Patriarch Hoyek.

To our brothers and sisters in Lebanon, we make our own the words of St John Chrysostom writing to St Maroun in the 4^th century, "We keep you in our memory continuously, carrying you around in our soul, wherever we are.” Indeed, the first response of those who hold a supernatural faith is to find in prayer an authentic hope – it is prayer that transforms wishful thinking so that it becomes what St Paul calls, “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19)

More than ever, our ancestral Homeland needs an anchor for the soul. I would suggest that the present difficulties are not disconnected from the past, but rather are the symptoms of an ongoing metaphysical struggle.

At stake in Lebanon is not simply a stretch of territory, it is not a battle for bricks and mortar, rather it is a contest for hearts and minds. It is a tragedy that so many of whatever political or religious persuasion cannot see beyond a particular ideology; they have lost their “heart-sight”, their “fore-sight”. A certain American Byzantine priest used say that perhaps the only sin the Holy Spirit will not forgive…. is a lack of imagination.

Surely the tragedy that has been visited upon us is, in part, of our own making; an inability to see what is truly ahead; an inability to imagine a Lebanon without my particular ideology, or at least a Lebanon not subservient to my philosophical system. I said earlier that some in Lebanon, for whatever reason have lost their “fore-sight”; sadly, they no longer see a common future, a prosperous and secure future shared by all the children of the Cedars. It is especially tragic that this inability to see beyond the here and now, squanders the future of our young people. Our young people, who regardless of their religious community, should be free to stand side by side in rebuilding the nation – their nation, after fifty years of conflict, both internal and that imposed upon us from outside. Enough is enough.

My dear friends, there are moments in a nation’s history when every citizen must rise above division, stand as one, and rally behind its elected leaders with courage and resolve. For Lebanon, that moment is not approaching—it is here, and it is now.

Hence, if we wish to assist the Homeland, we must support and foster the democratic institutions of the Republic of Lebanon. If we have political opinions, these should be expressed through the democratic process, not by disruptive or irregular means. Foremost in our humanitarian concerns should be the displaced, the wounded, and the bereaved; and we should also prayerfully commend the Mercy of God upon all those who have died and are sadly still dying due to the ongoing conflict.

Amongst the most distressing scenes that have come to us are of the displaced being forced from the towns and villages and I might note that they themselves have expressed the fear that the international community will forget them and woe to us if ever we have to say to the Good Lord, I did not come to their aid because I was too busy that day.

And here in Australia, we should take the opportunity to present the case for Lebanon to the Australian Government and the Australian people in an orderly and peaceful manner. In all things – as Lebanese Australians, or Australian Lebanese, we must act prudently and generously, keeping in mind that the Homeland is not helped by alienating the citizens of our new Land.

It is our task in the diaspora to advocate for Lebanon in its most basic concerns, the restoration of a lasting and authentic peace; the implementation of a permanent ceasefire; the restoration of Lebanon’s sovereign borders, and the withdrawal of all foreign combatants; the repatriation of foreign-held prisoners; and the safe return of the displaced to their original homes.

We are ever grateful for the aid and support that the Australian Government has provided for Lebanon over the last several decades; and we can but urge the Federal Government, and where appropriate the state authorities, to continue wherever possible to assist the democratically elected Lebanese Government.

In the Gospel of St Mark and that of St Matthew, both evangelists record the visits of our Lord to Southern Lebanon, in the region of Tyre and Sidon and it was here that he granted a healing for the daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman. There is a venerable tradition that our Blessed Lady, the Virgin Mary, accompanied her Son to the borders of Phoenician Lebanon, and that she then waited for him at Maghdouche, in the South of Lebanon.

It is to our Blessed Mother, she-who-is-quick-to-hear, that we prayerfully commend the wellbeing of Lebanon, that Land she herself visited, and for which throughout the ages she has constantly shown unfailing love and favour.

Speaking to the young people of Lebanon, Pope Leo XIX said,

“Your homeland, Lebanon, will flourish once again, beautiful and vigorous like the cedar, a symbol of the people’s unity and fruitfulness.”

And we can but add God willing, Insha’allah.

In conclusion, I would take this opportunity to thank His Grace, Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, with his wonderful team for putting together this prayerful gathering tonight. As always, His Grace, is ever mindful of the continuing urgent situation of Lebanon and will always be remembered as a true patriot and a genuine man of peace.

And, in but a few days, the Muslim community will celebrate Eid-al-Adha. To our Muslim friends, I extend our best wishes for the Feast. May it be a time of peace and many blessings.