c. 1997 Religion News Service

BEIRUT, Lebanon _ Pope John Paul II, making his first visit to the battle-scarred Middle East, received a warm, sometimes ecstatic, welcome in Lebanon this weekend as he called on the Lebanese to”destroy the barricades”of division and restore the nation to its”historic mission”of Christian-Muslim coexistence.

And the pope, as he left the country after an exhausting 32-hour visit, indirectly criticized the presence of 35,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon and the 2,000-soldier Israeli occupation of the southern portion of the country, calling for”a more democratic society with full independence … and with recognition of its borders.” John Paul’s visit was an unabashed victory for the pontiff and underscored the yearnings of masses of Lebanese _ Christian and Muslim alike _ to put finally behind them the deadly 15-year civil war that ended in 1990 and that left much of Beirut, once the showcase city of the Middle East, in rubble.

Tens of thousands lined the streets where he traveled, sporting T-shirts bearing his likeness, throwing rose petals and setting free white doves as his “Popemobile” passed.

Both Lebanese Christians and Muslims view John Paul as a man of peace and both groups were eager to use his visit to beef up the reconciliation and rebuilding process. Suspicions, however, remain _ especially among the Christians, who have seen their power and influence diminish since the war.

Whether the pontiff’s message will have any practical effect on the slow healing of the religiously divided nation of 3.5 million remained uncertain at the end of the visit.

But the hope of reconciliation was manifest.”Your presence is a motivation for us to continue with the reconstruction process and a sign that Lebanon will become independent, sovereign and enjoy the power of free decision,”Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, the patriarch of the Maronite Church told the pope at the start of Sunday’s (May 11) outdoor Mass. The Maronites are Lebanon’s largest Christian group, a body that is related to Rome but maintains its own liturgical rite.

Officials estimated the crowd attending the Mass in the war-ravaged heart of Beirut near the Green Line once separating Christian and Muslim militias as between 300,000 and 500,000 _ the largest multi-sect congregation the country has ever witnessed.

Speaking before a sea of people waving white and yellow Vatican flags and others emblazoned with the Lebanese emblem of the cedar tree, John Paul said that”Lebanon has shown (before) that these different faiths can live together in peace, brotherhood and cooperation.”It has shown that people can respect the rights of every individual to religious freedom, that all are united in love for the homeland.” He said that during the war, people often spoke of”martyr Lebanon,”adding:”I am certain that the sufferings of the past years will not be in vain. They will strengthen your freedom and unity.” John Paul’s message of freedom and reconciliation reinforced a 200-page document drafted by the pope in 1995 when Lebanon’s bishops assembled in Rome. The document, called”A New Hope for Lebanon”and released during the papal visit, calls for”total independence, complete sovereignty and unambiguous freedom”for Lebanon.

Even as John Paul urged reconciliation, some Christians expressed concern they are being marginalized by the Syrian-back Muslim-led government.

Pietre Atallah, a Christian human rights activist with the Foundation for Human and Humanitarian Rights, who was imprisoned along with 1,200 other Christians during Christmas last year, said Christians are being repressed by the government.

Atallah said thousands of displaced Christian refugees have not been able to return to their villages, nor have exiled Christian leaders felt welcome to come home.”Formal Christian opposition is not allowed and we are under heavy suppression,” Atallah said.

Lebanon’s 1.4 million Christians, whose numbers and influence have diminished since the end of the war, say they are politically marginalized and their civil and political liberties have been severely restricted by the government.

“Lebanon is undergoing a situation of steady attrition corroding many of its distinctive features such as traditional freedom of its society, press freedom, and a free enterprise economy,”said Habib Malik, a history professor at the Lebanese American University in Beirut and one of those casting doubt on the long-term significance of John Paul’s visit.”Under the `pax Syriana,’ if it lasts, many of these things would atrophy.”

John Paul, however, urged Lebanese Christians to take the initiative in imposing their presence on society and to bridge the sectarian divide rather than rely on papal recognition of their perceived woes.

On Saturday (May 10), speaking to more than 15,000 young Lebanese, including 500 invited Muslims, the pope urged patience.

“I ask you to be patient, destroy the barricades, build new bridges of communication among each other, work on sharing a social life, strengthen relations for the rebuilding of Lebanon (for it) needs an essential key, the key of love,” he said.

John Paul appeared to have won the hearts of the enthusiastic young people, who cheered the pontiff in a scene more reminiscent of a love fest than a religious ceremony.

Frequently interrupted by chants of “John Paul Two, We Love You! Long Live Peace!” the pope reciprocated, calling the youth Lebanon’s treasure and future.

MJP END GAVLAK