https://arab.news/mjhhh
There are many interpretations of the word “peace” in the Lebanese context. The fact that the visiting Pope Leo this week repeated it more than 20 times in one speech does not necessarily tilt the paradigm toward a more certain future for Lebanon or the wider Middle East. It is hard to find a Lebanese that does not want peace, but usually that is a peace tailored by their clan, tribe or political party’s narrative.
Yes, the majority of Lebanese are at last tired of perpetual conflict, but peace is unlikely to reign in the absence of a just and fair settlement between Israel and the Lebanese, the Palestinians, the Iranians and the Syrians. Such a development might finally bring about an enduringly stable Lebanon and maybe a more tolerant Middle East.
Pope Leo, making a two-day visit to Lebanon after four days in Turkiye, prayed for peace both in the multiconfessional country and in the region. A joyful Lebanese population welcomed the pontiff in their well-known and warm style, with the young and old, Muslim and Christian, political and apolitical lining the streets to wave at the pontiff. In some places, he was cheered like a pop star, in others he was seen as a savior, but the reality is that Pope Leo’s sincere message of peace can only go so far. His message will not persuade the big powers, with their conflicting agendas, to vie for peace in Lebanon, the region or anywhere else on Earth.
