Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Cardinal Simoni, who was sentenced to forced labor in 1963, recalled the brutal persecution of the Church under the Communist regime (1946-1991). “In secret, I managed to celebrate Holy Mass—reciting the Latin liturgy entirely from memory—using hosts made of flour and water that I baked on makeshift stoves,” he wrote.

“The situation in the Beqaa Valley and the Baalbek region is particularly distressing,” said Father Elie Gemayel, a parish priest of the Maronite Eparchy of Baalbek–Deir el-Ahmar. “The most urgent need is often the simplest one: the ability to live with dignity. For many families, this means being able to buy food, pay for medicines, or ensure their children receive an education.”

“We sometimes feel a profound weariness, a deep inner poverty, and a certain fear of the future, as if our souls were being put to the test just as much as our bodies,” he added. “We recognize that our role is simply to be present: God does not abandon us, even when everything seems shrouded in darkness.”

“They say that in ten minutes there were ten almost simultaneous strikes,” he said. “A very large number of Israeli warplanes were used.”

“All day, we were accompanied by mortar fire due to clashes between Hezbollah and Israel,” he continued. “We saw this all day long. Now there is heavy traffic, the city is congested, there are sirens and ambulances in the center—Beirut is in turmoil. Israeli raids are still ongoing.”

“As is known, Israel seeks the disarmament of Hezbollah, and this goal has not been achieved,” he added. “A truce would reopen the door to diplomacy ... War is bringing destruction, death, many displaced people, and many painful and difficult situations.”

The director of the Holy See Press Office briefed journalists on Pope Leo’s upcoming apostolic journey to four African nations and described the trip as a “journey through the richness and diversity of this great continent, populated by diverse peoples and worlds.”