Lebanon: Franciscan Friar Decries Bombings, Calls for End to Violence

Israeli bombings in Lebanon are killing civilians, damaging communities, and fueling “an environment of hatred and revenge,” a Franciscan friar in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, has warned, according to Vatican News.

Brother Tony Choukri, guardian of the Monastery of St. Joseph in the Christian district of Gemmayzeh, described the escalating violence as foreign to Lebanon’s identity.

“Lebanon is an interwoven fabric, not a set of groups, but a single entity, where Christians and Muslims are united as one,” he said, as reported by Vatican News.

Located in central Beirut, the monastery has long been a place of refuge, carrying memories of past crises, including the 2020 port explosion and the country’s civil war. Today, it continues to shelter displaced people despite growing insecurity.

“No place is safe,” Br. Choukri said, noting that airstrikes, once concentrated in southern Lebanon, have now spread to other areas, including Beirut.

“We thought the bombings would stop in the south… But the strikes have reached here as well,” he said.

The fear became real when a recent bombing struck just 300 meters from the monastery during preparations for the feast of St. Joseph. Those inside the church felt the impact while at prayer.

Despite the danger, the friars have chosen to remain.

“The friars have always been present; they have always stayed and never abandoned the monastery,” Br. Choukri said, explaining why many people continue to seek shelter there.

Currently, about 150 displaced persons are staying at the monastery, including families, children, and the elderly. Choukri expressed concern for their safety, especially the youngest.

“The smallest children, as soon as they hear a noise that might resemble gunfire, run to hide in corners or with their mothers,” he said.

While efforts are being made to relocate the most vulnerable to safer areas, the friars themselves have no plans to leave.

Br. Choukri said the situation is deepening a sense of fear and marginalization among the population, warning that prolonged violence risks eroding social cohesion.

At the same time, he expressed confidence in the resilience of the Lebanese people, even as he acknowledged that fear continues to spread.

His appeal, he said, is simple: to end the violence.

“Think about those who are dying, because the Lord has not given anyone permission to kill people,” he said.

He urged respect for human dignity and fundamental rights, stressing that “the human being is not an object, and death is neither a path nor a tool to change strategies, demography, and borders,” as reported by Vatican News.