Bishop Mounir Khairallah of Batroun made a heartfelt appeal for peace and forgiveness at the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality on 5 October 2024. Sharing his personal experience of losing his parents at the age of five, he recounted how a Lebanese Maronite nun taught him and his siblings to pray for forgiveness, rather than revenge. This powerful message of forgiveness and peace reflects the broader sentiments of the Lebanese people, who consistently reject hatred and revenge despite ongoing conflicts.
The bishop emphasized that the majority of people desire peace, and called for an end to cycles of retaliation. “Enough of this revenge, this hatred, this war. Enough. Let us build peace at least for the children, for future generations who have the right to live in peace,” he urged ¹. His words resonated with the synod participants, who issued an urgent appeal for peace and called for all religions to condemn fundamentalism with one voice.
Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, provided an update on the synod’s proceedings, highlighting the proposed interaction between participants and study groups established by Pope Francis. This proposal was approved by a show of hands and will take place on 18 October. The language groups have also completed their work on the first module of the Instrumentum Laboris, submitting essential proposals for the final document.
The Synod on Synodality will begin its second week of debates on 7 October, coinciding with Pope Francis’ call for a day of prayer and fasting for peace. This date marks the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, amidst escalating violence in the region.