ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II
TO H.E. MR ÉMILE LAHOUD,
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LEBANON

Saturday, 15 May 2004 

Mr President,

I welcome Your Excellency with joy and extend to you and the delegation accompanying you a cordial welcome.

I cherish a pleasant memory of my Apostolic Visit to your dear Nation, and I express my warmest wishes for yourself and all of your fellow countrymen and women. I ask God to help all Lebanese peoples to strengthen the unity of their Nation in reciprocal harmony and respect. I hope that the canonization of a son of your Land, Fr Nimatullah Al-Hardini, will serve as an example of brotherhood to his fellow citizens. I pray God may also sustain the efforts of all men and women of good will working for peace, especially in the region of the Middle East, so tried by unacceptable violence.

Upon Your Excellency and your family, upon the dear Lebanese People and its leaders, I invoke an abundance of Divine Blessings.

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