The expansion of the conflict in the Middle East to South Lebanon has caused hundreds of civilian casualties and thousands of displaced persons. In Tyre there is a Franciscan fraternity that has opened the doors of the convent to accommodate families who survived the bombings and without a roof under which to sleep. In this fraternity live Br. Toufic Bou Merhi, OFM and Br. Richa Pierre, OFM; we have collected the testimony of Br. Toufic, parish priest of the Latins.
What are you doing for the civilian population?
What we know how to do is to be Franciscans for the people and in the midst of the people: our doors are open, we try to be close to them. At the moment we welcome over 150 people in our convent in Tyre, including 70 children, the rest are women and men. We don't let him miss anything thanks also to the friends around us; We brought them mattresses, offered water and food three times a day. The big problem is to manage this situation at a logistical and health level: we don't have many bathrooms; we do not have the facilities to welcome so many people. Our friary is small, but our heart is big, so we keep the shack going...
How do you manage to feed so many people?
What I can say is that Providence, especially in these difficult times, gives us lessons: I don't know where and how the food comes from, but people are calling friends to help, people I don't even know are calling the friary to offer their help.
How is the situation right now?
We see suffering around us, we see people who are afraid, who have had to leave home but who do not know where to go. They let Providence guide them. They are people who have no religion or colour for us: our doors are open to everyone; our hands are outstretched to help. I thank all those who are thinking about it and who give us a hand; I thank the Lord first for the strength, health and all the graces He gives us. We are close to ours, people to our villagers, to the suffering people and together with them we cry out:"no more massacres, no more war!". War does not solve problems, it does not give peace, but only feeds hatred; War does not give rights, only destruction. Keep praying for us: we need many prayers for this massacre to end, thank you all.
Br. Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General of the OFM, expressed his closeness to the brothers and victims of the war in South Lebanon: "I am following the situation in Lebanon these days through the brothers of the Custody of the Holy Land and I can listen to the burden of pain that war and the death of so many innocents brings with it. We see the war now spreading in the Middle East and the concern is growing ever greater. Peace seems impossible, yet it is precisely now that we must pray and hope more and support the life and hope of so many people who suffer from the consequences of the conflict and of our Friars Minor who always remain close to them, even at personal risk."
Pope Francis also addressed a thought to the Lebanese victims in the general audience on September 25: "I am saddened by the news coming from Lebanon, where in recent days intense bombings have caused many victims and destruction. I hope that the international community will make every effort to stop this terrible escalation. It is unacceptable! I express my closeness to the Lebanese people, who have already suffered too much in the recent past".
