Fondazione Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice

A pilgrim of hope in the eastern Mediterranean

History will remember that Pope Leo XIV chose the shores of the eastern Mediterranean, the cradle of Christianity, for his first apostolic journey, visiting Turkey and Lebanon in succession. In Turkey, the Holy Father celebrated the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea with particular intensity. He emphasised its truly common significance for all Christian denominations, notably by meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, at his palace in Phanar, visiting the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral in Istanbul, and meeting with leaders of Christian churches and communities at the Syriac Orthodox Church of Mor Ephrem. This trip was also an opportunity for dialogue with Muslims, notably during his visit to the famous Sultan Ahmet Mosque. In Lebanon, like Paul VI in 1964, John Paul II in 1997 and Benedict XVI in 2012, the Pope visited a country in turmoil. On his return, however, he recalled that the Land of the Cedars remains a ‘mosaic of coexistence’. He met with bishops, priests, consecrated persons and pastoral workers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. He prayed at the tomb of Saint Charbel Makhlouf at the Monastery of Saint Maroun, spoke with Lebanese youth and paused in silent reflection before the monument honouring the victims of the Beirut port explosion. From this exceptionally rich journey, I recall two words that constitute its true cornerstones and allow us to deepen our understanding of the social doctrine of the Church with renewed vigour.

First of all, unity. The unity of Christians, of course, but also the unity of the human family. The Pope expressed this forcefully: “Reconciliation is today a call that comes from all humanity afflicted by conflict and violence. The desire for full communion among all believers in Jesus Christ is always accompanied by the search for fraternity among all human beings. In the Nicene Creed, we profess our faith “in one God, the Father”; yet it would not be possible to invoke God as Father if we refused to recognise other men and women, also created in the image of God, as our brothers and sisters. There is a universal brotherhood and sisterhood, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, religion or opinion.”

Peace, then. During Mass celebrated on 2 December in Beirut, the Holy Father exhorted Christians: “When the results of [your] efforts for peace are slow in coming, […] lift your eyes to the Lord who is coming! Let us look to him with hope and courage, inviting everyone to commit themselves to the path of coexistence, fraternity and peace. Be artisans of peace, heralds of peace, witnesses of peace! ‘

To the young people gathered in front of the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch, who asked him where to find the anchor that would enable them to persevere in their commitment to peace, he replied: ’This anchor cannot be an idea, a contract or a moral principle. The true principle of a new life is the hope that comes from above: it is Christ himself! ‘ He added: ’Peace is truly sincere when I do to others what I would like them to do to me (cf. Mt 7:12). Saint John Paul II was right when he said that there is ‘no peace without justice, no justice without forgiveness’ (Message for the 35th World Day of Peace, 1 January 2002 […]; this is how it is: forgiveness gives rise to justice, and justice is the foundation of peace. “

By emphasising unity and peace, the Holy Father highlights two essential challenges of our time — and more particularly for the entire Mediterranean basin. We need unity and peace in the Mediterranean, especially at a time when international tensions are growing and the sound of weapons is becoming increasingly threatening. The thirst for power and profit on the part of a few irresponsible leaders is exposing humanity to formidable dangers, with contempt for individuals and peoples, especially the poorest and most disadvantaged.

We may feel helpless in the face of such challenges and divisions. And yet, as Christmas approaches, let us remember that the Lord chose to save us by becoming a little child, buffeted by history, hunted by the powerful, a member of a Holy Family forced to flee to Egypt, like so many migrants today, fleeing the misery, war and corruption that ravage their countries of origin. But God does not abandon those who trust in Him. The Child grew up, and His Word, His message, His actions, then His condemnation, His death and His resurrection worked on the world like a leaven, like a small seed that matures and grows, like a tiny thing that changes everything. We are here to bear witness to this and to share the hope that His call has given us. Hope is not vague optimism: it is a demanding, even heroic choice. A great French novelist, Georges Bernanos, who fought in the Spanish Civil War and stayed in Barcelona during the summer of 1936, at a time of great international turmoil, wrote these powerful words, which I leave you to ponder:

“Hope is a heroic determination of the soul, and its highest form is despair overcome. We believe that it is easy to hope. But only those who have had the courage to despair of the illusions and lies in which they found a security that they mistakenly took for hope can hope. Hope is a risk to be taken, indeed the risk of risks. Hope is the greatest and most difficult victory a man can win over his soul… One can only reach hope through truth, at the cost of great effort. To encounter hope, one must have gone beyond despair. When we reach the end of the night, we encounter another dawn. The demon in our hearts is called ‘What’s the point!’.

To all the members, friends and partners of the Centesimus Annus – Pro Pontifice Foundation, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a beautiful, happy and holy 2026, firmly anchored in hope!

+ Jean-Marc Cardinal Aveline