"[The pope] asked me if I wanted to say a word of thanks, that which I gave at the end. I hadn't prepared in advance -- I don't know what I said."
Sept. 1 marked 100 years since the creation of the State of Greater Lebanon. The country is almost evenly divided between Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, and Christians, most of whom are Maronite Catholics. Lebanon also has a small Jewish population, as well as Druze and other religious communities.
Lebanon's capital city, Beirut, experienced a large explosion in its port area Aug. 4. The blast, caused by the detonation of a large amount of ammonium nitrate, killed nearly 200 people and injured thousands. It also caused extensive damage to homes and businesses around the area.
"In particular, I address the inhabitants of Beirut, severely tested by the explosion: take courage, brothers! Faith and prayer be your strength. Do not abandon your homes and your heritage, do not let the dreams of those who have believed in the future of a beautiful and prosperous country fall," Pope Francis said.
He also urged priests and bishops in Lebanon to accompany their faithful, asking bishops especially to have "apostolic zeal" and to live in "poverty with your poor people who are suffering."
"Help your faithful and your people to stand up and be protagonists of a new rebirth," he added.
The pope emphasized the importance of peace, harmony, and brotherhood as a foundation for ensuring the continued presence of Christians in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East.
He quoted St. Pope John Paul II's 1989 letter to bishops on the situation in Lebanon, which said, "faced with the repeated tragedies that each of the inhabitants of this land knows, we become aware of the extreme danger that threatens the very existence of the country. Lebanon cannot be abandoned in its solitude."
Francis urged political and religious leaders to commit to reconstruction work in Beirut with transparency and with the common good in mind. He also asked the international community to continue its support.
"I ask you to entrust our anxieties and hopes to Mary, Our Lady of Harissa. May she support those who mourn their loved ones and instill courage in all those who have lost their homes and part of their lives with them," he prayed.
"May she intercede with the Lord Jesus, so that the Land of the Cedars may flourish again and spread the perfume of living together throughout the Middle East region," he said.
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Hannah Brockhaus is Catholic News Agency's senior Rome correspondent. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has a degree in English from Truman State University in Missouri.