Pope Francis has made a heartfelt appeal to Lebanese politicians, urging them to urgently elect a new president to restore functionality to the country’s governing institutions.
Speaking at Saint Peter’s Square during the Sunday Angelus prayer, the pontiff emphasized the need for immediate action, stating, “I address an urgent invitation to all Lebanese politicians to elect the president of the republic immediately.”
Francis highlighted that Lebanon’s institutions must begin to “function normally again” to implement necessary reforms and maintain its role as a beacon of peaceful coexistence among various religious communities.
The call comes amid a two-year leadership vacuum in Lebanon, which has been without a president since Michel Aoun’s term expired in October 2022. Parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri has scheduled a presidential election for January 9, 2024, in a bid to resolve the ongoing deadlock.
However, with neither the Iran-backed Hezbollah bloc nor its opponents holding a parliamentary majority, both sides have struggled to agree on a consensus candidate, leaving the nation in a state of uncertainty.
