Lebanon: Parish in last Christian village on Israeli border remains steadfast

Rmeish from mountain - Wiki Image

Source: Vatican Media

Fr Toni Elias, a Lebanese Maronite parish priest at the church of St George in Rmeish - the last village in the south of the country on the border with Israel gave an interview with Vatican Media after the news of the the ceasefire between US/Israel and Iran was announced. Although the two week truce does not extend to Lebanon, Fr Elias said: "We do not give up - on the contrary, we trust in the Lord. This is what truly makes us a resilient people in the midst of this tide of war and conflict that surrounds us."

"We want a Lebanon that lives in peace and serenity; we want to find jobs for our young people; we want families no longer to feel forced to leave their village." he said. "Because the Lord has taught us to love everyone. I love everyone: Shiites, Sunnis, Druze - everyone. But the time has come to raise our voices even more: we no longer want war."

"Rmeish is the last Christian village before the border with Israel. We are not near the border - we are on the border. We are the only ones - together with two other villages - still holding out in the Bint Jbeil area. Here, everyone immediately understood that a truce in southern Lebanon was unlikely, simply because the Israeli army has already moved past us and because of the scale of its engagement in this campaign."

Israeli attacks on the morning of April 8 proved that the ceasefire does not extend to Lebanon. Air strikes hit the southern parts of Beirut in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley - areas where Hezbollah is allegedly more prominently present.

Israel has called it the biggest wave of air attacks of this conflict as it hit over 100 of what Israel described as Hezbollah command centres and military sites in 10 minutes.

Despite this, Father Elias said his community still managed to celebrate Easter. "We thank the Lord for this because, even though this year we had to forgo the Easter Vigil, we were still able to celebrate Holy Week with wholehearted participation. This is the core of our resistance: faith, trust in the Lord, and surrender to Him. Not giving up - rather, trusting in the Lord. This is what truly makes us a resilient people in the midst of this tide of war and conflict that surrounds us."

This trust is also reflected, Father Elias continued, in the support the community has received. "Since we raised our voices, the Church has never failed to show its closeness. Both in the previous war and in this one, there has been great support."

He expressed the community's great appreciation for Pope Leo's prayers. "Just this morning, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, asked us how we are and what our needs are. These days, I am compiling a list of medicines. There are people with cancer or undergoing serious treatments. Some need very specific or very expensive medicines, which cost a lot or are no longer available. We need these essential goods, and above all, a humanitarian corridor."

Father Elias said he would try to send this list to the Order of Malta, which is working closely with Caritas in the area.