Vatican City, Mar 16, 2017 / 10:07 am
With the 6th anniversary of the start of the Syrian war as backdrop this week, Pope Francis met Thursday morning with the President of Lebanon, Michel Aoun.
Their discussion centered on the large number of Syrian refugees now in Lebanon and the efforts to find a solution to the conflict.
According to a March 16 statement by the Vatican, in the 20-minute meeting, the Pope and President Aoun discussed Syria "with special attention to international efforts to find a political solution to the conflict."
The Pope expressed appreciation for the many Syrian refugees Lebanon has welcomed during the years of the Civil War. The two leaders also exchanged views on the greater regional context and other ongoing conflicts, particularly the situation for Christians in the Middle East.