By Federico Piana

The Lebanese Church is concerned about the escalation of the war between Israel and Hamas.

Increasing bombing and shelling in Southern Lebanon is forcing thousands of people to flee to the capital, Beirut.

This situation “will continue to have dramatic consequences for the nation, already reeling from an unprecedented socio-economic crisis”, said Father Michel Abboud, the president of Caritas Lebanon in an interview with Vatican News’ Federico Piana.

Internally displaced people trying to save their lives and those of their families are in need of everything. They have left their homes, jobs, relatives and having rebuild their lives from nothing.  “We have created reception centres to  help them with the support of all the bishops and other religious authorities and we have made every basic necessity available to them”, Fr. Abboud said.

The Church provides not only material aid, but also spiritual support to offer some comfort to the soul of those tramatized by the horrors of the bombs. “We are organizing moments of prayer and and Masses”, the priest explained.

The visit to Southern Lebanon of  Maronite Patriarch al-Rahi

The Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Béchara Boutros al-Rahi has also brought the closeness of the Church to those suffering by visiting the affected areas

“In recent days – president of Caritas Lebanon said – he went to visit the villages and to tell the inhabitants who remained that they are not alone and the Church is beside them”.

Many  cannot cannot escape to safer places. “They are people whose poverty has been exacerbated by the economic crisis”, Father Abboud explained. “Skyrocketing prices make impossible for them to even make a simple journey”.

Father Abboud recalled that the Bishops have recently raised their voices against the escalation saying that the Lebanese do not want war. “Conflict only generates pain, anguish and fear,” he concluded.