NNA – The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, confirmed from the Grand Serail that he came to Lebanon carrying the message of His Holiness Pope Francis, “it is a message of hope for a country that means a lot to him, and we are here to support the Lebanese and to assure them that we stand by their side in the face of challenges, and the decision for Lebanon’s recovery is a purely Lebanese decision on which efforts must be combined.” Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, on Thursday welcomed at the Grand Serail Archbishop Gallagher, and an accompanying delegation. During the meeting, Premier Mikati welcomed Archbishop Gallagher, saying: “We are proud of the affinity that His Holiness Pope Francis expresses towards all the Lebanese, and shares their pain and suffering that has impacted most aspects of their lives.” Mikati added: “We appreciate your call for Lebanon to remain a project of peace and a homeland for tolerance and pluralism, where all sects and religions come together.”
The PM added, “We are persisting and determined to implement the government’s reform program despite all obstacles and difficulties, and we are all convinced, as you stated yesterday, that reforms are the ones to help Lebanon, along with the support of the international community.” Archbishop Gallagher, in turn, indicated: “Change is coming to Lebanon, and we pray that it will be for the good of this country, and in the name of His Holiness the Pope and the universal Catholic Church, we will always stand by Lebanon’s side.”
NNA – The following is US Ambassador Dorothy C. Shea’s address as delivered marking one year anniversary of the assassination of Lokman Slim:
“Let me begin by renewing my sincere condolences to the family of Lokman Slim as well as to all of those gathered here and beyond, who loved him, who worked with him. All of us here were affected by his work. Lokman stood for the rule of law. He was a champion of free speech, democracy, and civic participation. He was never intimidated by the repeated threats made against him. In his life, he fought for justice and accountability. In his death, he deserves those things. It is an extremely sad occasion for us all to mark the one-year anniversary of his assassination and it is even more troubling to see that there has yet to be justice. There has yet to be accountability.
His assassination was not just an attack on one person, but also an attack on Lebanon itself. The use of threats and intimidation to subvert the rule of law and silence political discourse and dissent remains unacceptable. In the wake of Lokman’s assassination, malign actors in Lebanon have tried to weaken, discredit, and delegitimize Lebanese civil society organizations, and institutions and NGOs. But their intimidation cannot keep the bold from speaking truth to power. To those of you who carry on the legacy of Lokman Slim, your freedom of expression, and your participation in democratic society, those represent the most powerful answer to those who resort to cowardly political violence. Now, more than ever, as we approach elections and as the Lebanese people endure compounding crises, we must all work to uphold the very principles of justice and accountability for which Lokman was working. Today, I join the many friends of Lebanon in renewing our calls for justice, to honor Lokman’s life and his work. Today we share in the tears and the resolve that I heard expressed here. Thank you.”
