The military pressure in southern Lebanon is forcing some Christian villages to evacuate the area, but many of its inhabitants remain determined to stay in their homes despite the bombings and the advancing conflict. In the midst of this situation, the words of the Maronite priest Pierre el-Raï, who was recently killed in an airstrike, resonate among the neighbors who resist abandoning their land.
From the start of the war, the Christian communities in the far south of the country had refused to leave their villages despite the airstrikes and the evacuation requests for the entire region south of the Litani River.
Evacuation of Christian villages under UN escort
The situation changed after the death of the priest Pierre el-Raï. On Tuesday morning, a convoy of several dozen vehicles was preparing to leave Alma el-Chaab following a United Nations peace vehicle in charge of coordinating the evacuation.
Read also: Lebanon asks the Vatican to intervene to protect the Christian villages in the south
Among the residents, concern for the immediate future is growing. To that fear is added the pain over the loss of the priest, who was seen as a close pastor and a reference for the Christians in the region.
“I am willing to die because this is my home”
According to ABC, days before his death, Father Pierre el-Raï had publicly explained the decision of many inhabitants to remain in their towns despite the risks facing the region:
«There is death, and after death comes resurrection. I am willing to die because this is my home. We have decided to stay despite the danger because they are our houses. We will not leave them in the hands of those who want to occupy them and live in them. When we defend our homes, we defend them peacefully. None of us carries weapons. We only carry the weapons of peace, kindness, and love».
The priest died when he was heading to the entrance of the town of Qlayaa to help the neighbors after an Israeli artillery attack. At that moment, a second bombing occurred that ended his life.
Read also: Maronite priest dies in a bombing in Lebanon while aiding an injured parishioner
Leo XIV remembers the priest in the general audience
During the general audience held this Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square, Leo XIV also referred to the death of the Maronite priest and expressed his closeness to the Lebanese people.
“Today the funeral of Father Pierre el-Raï, Maronite parish priest of one of the Christian towns in southern Lebanon that these days are once again experiencing the drama of war, is being held in Qlayaa, Lebanon. I am close to all the Lebanese people in this moment of grave trial,” the Pontiff stated.
The Pope also highlighted the meaning of the priest’s surname and his pastoral witness: “In Arabic ‘El Raii’ means ‘the Shepherd’. Father Pierre was an authentic shepherd who always remained by his people’s side, with the love and sacrifice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. As soon as he learned that some parishioners had been injured in a bombing, without thinking he ran to help them”.
Leo XIV expressed his hope that the priest’s sacrifice would contribute to peace in the region: “May the Lord will that his shed blood be a seed of peace for beloved Lebanon”.
Finally, the Pontiff asked to continue praying for the end of conflicts in the region: “Dear brothers and sisters, let us continue praying for peace in Iran and throughout the Middle East, especially for the numerous civilian victims, among whom there are many innocent children. May our prayer be consolation for those who suffer and a seed of hope for the future”.