A Maronite priest was killed on March 9 in the mountainous village of Qlayaa, Lebanon, while assisting parishioners whose home had been struck by an Israeli tank, according to Lebanese media reports and Vatican News.
Fr. Pierre El-Rahi, 50, rushed to the house with several young parishioners when the tank fired again, wounding him. He was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Speaking to Vatican News, Fr. Toufic Bou Merhi, Latin-rite parish priest in Tyre and Deirmimas, described Fr. El-Rahi as “a true pastor” who remained with his parishioners despite repeated Israeli evacuation orders.
“The parish is mourning his death and living in fear,” Fr. Merhi said. “People in Christian villages have long resisted leaving their homes, but now everything has changed. Leaving means living on the streets or renting elsewhere, which is nearly impossible in Lebanon’s dire economic situation.”
Fr. Merhi noted that the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land are currently hosting 200 displaced people, all Muslims, at their monastery in Tyre, while over 300,000 people have fled southern Lebanon seeking safety.
“We say and repeat that the last thing that must not die in us is hope in the Lord, who gives us strength to continue,” he added. “Enough war; enough violence. Weapons, as the Pope said, do not generate peace; they generate massacres and hatred. All we ask is to live with a little dignity.”
The Holy See Press Office reported that Pope Leo XIV is praying for the cessation of hostilities in the Middle East. In a statement, the Pope expressed “profound sorrow” for all victims of the recent bombings, particularly children and those assisting them, including Fr. El-Rahi.
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