The president of the Sovereign Order of Malta’s Lebanon chapter described the situation in Lebanon as catastrophic, with about 1 million people displaced in the last ten days. Marwan Sehnaoui reported approximately 1,000 casualties in the region, including 60 deaths on the day of the interview. The humanitarian leader warned that continued conflict could force Christians to leave their homes, emphasizing the Order's efforts to support them through agricultural projects to encourage them to stay. The Order of Malta's Lebanon Association operates across the country, managing over 60 projects in health, social, and agricultural aid, alongside 12 mobile medical centers. Sehnaoui stressed the importance of maintaining the dignity of the Lebanese people and fostering coexistence through aid rather than conflict.
about 8 hours ago
Lebanon is experiencing a "catastrophic" situation with widespread shelling across Beirut and the country.1 2
About 1 million people, or 20% of the population, have been displaced in the past 10 days.1 2
Casualties total around 1,000, including 60 deaths reported on March 18, 2026.1 2
Marwan Sehnaoui, president of the Sovereign Order of Malta’s Lebanon chapter, highlighted their operations nationwide.1 2
The organization employs 600 staff running over 60 health, social, and agricultural aid projects, plus 12 mobile medical centers.1 2
These initiatives aim to restore dignity and promote coexistence through aid rather than weapons.1 2
Prolonged war risks forcing Christians to emigrate from their homeland.1 2
Sehnaoui stressed preventing immigration by supporting people to stay and farm their lands for food security.1 2
Lebanese Christians are determined to remain despite the violence.1 2
Sehnaoui thanked Pope Leo XIV for his 2025 visit to Lebanon, calling it vital for all Lebanese.1 2
Despite destruction and pain, resilience prevails with hopes of survival.1 2
Catholic humanitarian efforts in Lebanon: preserving dignity amid conflict
Catholic humanitarian efforts in Lebanon exemplify the Church's commitment to preserving human dignity amid prolonged conflict, economic crisis, and displacement. Rooted in the intrinsic dignity of every person and the pursuit of the common good, these initiatives—spanning education, healthcare, refugee aid, and peacebuilding—reflect papal calls for solidarity, as seen in teachings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) and addresses by Popes Paul VI, John Paul II, Francis, and Leo XIV. This analysis draws on magisterial sources to outline the theological foundations, historical responses, organizational efforts, and ongoing challenges.
Catholic social teaching underscores that humanitarian aid in conflict zones like Lebanon is not optional charity but a moral imperative derived from the equal dignity of all persons. The CCC teaches that "the dignity of the human person requires the pursuit of the common good", obliging the creation of institutions that enhance human life conditions. This extends to respecting others as "another self", with fundamental rights flowing from inherent dignity.
In Lebanon's context of war, refugees, and inequality, the Church addresses "sinful inequalities" through efforts to reduce social and economic disparities. Human interdependence demands a "universal common good", including aid for food, hygiene, education, and refugees—precisely the crises afflicting Lebanon. As Pope John Paul II echoed in Colombia, encountering the needy reveals Christ in the suffering, per Matthew 25:40: "as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me". These principles frame aid as restoring God's image in the vulnerable, countering conflict's dehumanization.
Popes have consistently appealed for aid to Lebanon, viewing it as a "project for peace" where diverse communities coexist. During the 1970s civil war, Pope Paul VI highlighted Church institutions' overburdened role in assisting conflict victims from all sides, noting over 300,000 refugees, food crises, and hospital shortages. He urged the universal Church and world for "urgent" aid beyond Caritas Internationalis' capacity.
John Paul II repeatedly addressed Lebanon's destruction, calling it a "threat to international life" where the weak suffer violence from the strong. He praised Lebanese solidarity, especially women's roles in fostering unity amid war's scars—displacement, exile, and division. In 1994, he stressed rebuilding through state guarantees of rights, economic growth, dialogue, and Church-led education for the underprivileged. Post-war, he advocated international help for justice, brotherhood, and national sovereignty. John Paul II also supported the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre's aid to Holy Land Christians, emphasizing youth education in crisis-hit Middle East.
These interventions align with Gaudium et Spes (cited in CCC), restoring dignity disfigured by sin.
Practical efforts operationalize these teachings via pontifical and episcopal agencies focused on Lebanon:
Church institutions provide education, hospitals, and social services, as in John Paul II's 2003 call for stable Christian schooling amid crisis. Praedicate Evangelium mandates Dicastery cooperation with ecclesial aid in crises.
Recent popes sustain this legacy amid Lebanon's economic collapse, 2020 Beirut explosion, and regional wars. Pope Francis decried the explosion's innocent deaths, demanding "truth and justice" and decrying war as "a failure of humanity". He appealed for Gaza cease-fires, Palestinian aid, Lebanese institutional resolution, and Syrian refugee support in Lebanon/Jordan. Echoing John Paul II, he affirmed Lebanon's vocation for fraternal religious encounter.
In 2025, Pope Leo XIV visited "De La Croix" Hospital in Jal el Dib, symbolizing ongoing Church healthcare commitment amid conflict. These acts embody the Church's "grow to serve" ethos.
| Organization | Focus in Lebanon/Middle East | Key Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Aid to the Church in Need | Persecuted Christians, refugees | Pastoral/humanitarian aid in 145+ countries |
| CNEWA | Eastern Churches, emergencies | Education, healthcare, refugee relief (e.g., Syrian refugees) |
| CRS | Crisis response, development | Lifesaving aid, poverty alleviation across creeds |
Despite efforts, sources note limits: overburdened institutions, political stalemates, and escalating needs. The Church calls for global cooperation—governments, organizations, persons of good will—to prioritize dialogue, rights, and reconstruction. Preserving dignity requires reducing inequalities, protecting vulnerable sectors like youth, and fostering peace.
Catholic humanitarian efforts in Lebanon preserve dignity by embodying Christ's compassion amid conflict, from CCC imperatives to papal appeals and agencies like CNEWA and CRS. These initiatives urge the faithful to acts of solidarity, rebuilding Lebanon as a peace message. Continued prayer and support remain essential.