The convents of the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land in Lebanon are not extraneous to the wave of violence that has affected in particular the South of the country. The convents in Beirut, Harissa and Tripoli are not affected directly for the time being, while the convent in Tyre is in an area affected by the bombings and the need to help people fleeing from the South.
North and South
Fra Najib Ibrahim is the Guardian of the convent in Harissa and delegate of the Custos of the Holy Land for Lebanon. “We are concerned because the war affects everybody’s life,” he says. “The schools are closed, because many have become shelters for the evacuees. Many people cannot afford to rent a house or go to a hotel. In the past few days, the roads to Beirut have been blocked because of the huge number of cars and people fleeing.” At the moment, “there are no shortages of food or fuel in the north, but nothing arrives in the South.” In the parishes and the convents of the Custody, “we pray the rosary every day asking God, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, for peace in Lebanon and the whole of the Middle East.”
Tyre, doors open…
“The situation is dramatic,” says Fra Toufic Bou Mehri from the convent of Tyre, a strip of land extending into the sea, about thirty kilometres from the Israeli border. Some bombs fell here too. “We have opened the doors of the convent to take in people who have fled from the villages in the South. We now have dozens of families camping out here, who fled without taking anything with them, without even knowing where to go.” He does not hide the difficulties: “Managing the evacuees is very complex, especially from the hygienic and sanitary point of view. We try to be close to these people and make them feel welcome.”
… and schools closed
From the convent of St Anthony, Fra Toufic visits different villages in the South of Lebanon and every Sunday reaches the Catholic parish of Deir Mimas, about seventy kilometres from Tyre and only four kilometres from the Israeli border, facing Metulla. He went there last Sunday as well. “I took school material for the children, for the start of the school year, but they didn’t have time to use it. They have all fled, and the schools are all closed now, the situation is dramatic and we cannot see the end of it.”
Tripoli, ready to welcome
Echoes of the war are arriving in Tripoli, in the north of the country, and fear is beginning to spread. As friars of the Custody, “we have already been stocking provisions,” says Fra Quirico Calella. “Our convent is the centre of evacuation for the Italians, in the case of an emergency. We have bought a certain amount of water and staple goods.” At the moment, “only one family has asked to stay with us but we think that there will be a much higher demand in the next few days. We will try and help all those who arrive, as well as the people we already assist.”
Marinella Bandini
