Pope Francis Promises To Help: Lebanon Is A Country And A Message Worth Fighting For

Pope Francis welcomes Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. (Source: Vatican News)

JAKARTA - Pope Francis received the visit of the Lebanese Prime Minister at the Vatican, We local time, comparing the country to a dying person and pledging to do everything in his power to help him "resurrect".

Pope Francis and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who took office in September after a year-long hiatus in government, met privately for about 20 minutes to discuss the economic and social crisis ravaging the country, the Vatican said in a statement.

The fallout from Lebanon's financial collapse in 2019 has left much of the country in poverty, with foreign donors demanding central bank audits and financial reforms before they disburse funds.

Meanwhile, UN agencies have warned of a social catastrophe, with one report saying more than half of families in Lebanon have at least one child who skips meals, amid dramatically worsening living conditions.

"Lebanon is a country, a message and even a promise worth fighting for," Pope Francis told the Lebanese delegation after the private meeting.

He then refers to the Gospel account of Jairus in which Jesus resurrects the man's 12-year-old daughter, who is believed to have died. Jesus told the parents that she was just sleeping and the girl woke up when Jesus commanded.

"I pray that God will take Lebanon's hand and say 'rise up'," the Pope said, adding that the country was going through "a very difficult and bad time" in its history.

"I assure you of my prayers, my closeness, and my promise to work diplomatically with countries so that they unite with Lebanon to help it bounce back," he said.

The seemingly never-ending crisis has sunk the Lebanese currency by more than 90 percent, caused poverty to skyrocket, and led many Lebanese to emigrate.

To note, PM Mikati's government was finally formed after a year of political conflict over cabinet seats which only exacerbated the crisis.

Last August, on the first anniversary of a massive chemical explosion in the port of Beirut that killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars in losses, Pope Francis vowed to visit Lebanon as soon as the situation permits.