(Photo: Aid to the Church in Need)
In the wake of ongoing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, Catholic leaders in Lebanon have raised alarms about the worsening conditions in the region. Although a recent peace agreement involving Israel, Iran, and the US promises to halt violent clashes, Israel’s occupation of certain Lebanese territories will persist.
The conflict has already claimed lives, including a Catholic priest who was killed by Israeli fire while aiding his congregation. Additionally, several Israeli soldiers faced repercussions for desecrating Christian holy symbols.
Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop Georges Iskandar of Tyre recently called for the safeguarding of Tyre’s Old Quarter amid escalating insecurity. Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need, he emphasized the precariousness faced by residents, who are increasingly fearful for their lives and heritage.
“The security situation affecting our region has become increasingly fragile, and the residents of the Old Quarter of Tyre, which includes the historic Christian quarter of the city, are living under growing fear for their lives, their homes, their churches, their heritage, and their future,” he stated.
Highlighting the area’s significance, he added, “Its Old Quarter is not merely a historic area – it is a living place of faith, memory, family life, coexistence, and continuous Christian witness. It is home to civilians, elderly people, children, and families who have remained attached to their ancestral land despite immense suffering, uncertainty, and danger.”
The Middle East has seen a drastic reduction in its Christian population due to prolonged conflicts, including the US invasion of Iraq, the rise and fall of ISIS, and the Syrian Civil War. Once numbering over a million in countries like Iraq and Syria, the Christian community has dwindled to a few hundred thousand.
Lebanon mirrors this trend, albeit less severely. In Kfour, Nabatieh District, Father Youssef Semaan notes that the local Christian populace has decreased from about 120 to just over 10, with many relocating to other Lebanese regions.
Father Semaan remarked, “We still have hope. But hope itself is not enough. It has to be based on solid foundations that allow us to rebuild and go on living. We are human after all.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
