Beirut: President Joseph Aoun welcomed the decision by Pope Leo XIV to include the Shrine of Saint Charbel at the Monastery of Saint Maroun in Annaya among global Marian pilgrimage sites participating in the Rosary prayer led by the Pope from the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens at the close of the month of May, traditionally dedicated by the Church to the Virgin Mary.

According to National News Agency - Lebanon, the selected shrines include the Sanctuary of F¡tima in Portugal, Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, the Marian shrine in Medjugorje, and Basilica della Santa Casa in Italy. Aoun thanked the Pope for choosing the Saint Charbel shrine, saying that Lebanese people of all sects, both in Lebanon and across the diaspora, still cherish the memory of the Pope's first apostolic visit to Lebanon last winter. He added that many continue to recite the prayer to Saint Charbel written and delivered by the Pope at the saint's tomb, while also remembering his repeated calls for peace in Lebanon amid the country's ongoing hardships.

"His Holiness' decision to lead the Rosary prayer for victims of wars, the suffering, the displaced, healthcare and nursing workers, and relief volunteers who provide humanitarian assistance on a daily basis, as well as for lasting peace in the world and in Lebanon, is clear evidence of his deep concern for Lebanon and for war-stricken nations around the world," the President affirmed.

Aoun noted that Lebanon has lost nearly 3,000 people as a result of the ongoing war and attacks, including nurses, paramedics, volunteers, and civilians from different regions and sects, while more than 1.5 million people remain displaced. He said Lebanon joins the Pope in praying that the sacrifices and suffering endured by its people may mark the beginning of the country's recovery and resurrection.

"Lebanon joins His Holiness in prayer so that their pure blood and suffering may herald the resurrection and salvation of Lebanon, and in raising prayer to Mary, Our Lady of Lebanon, chosen by God among all women, from near the very tomb of Saint Charbel, asking the Lord to preserve Lebanon as a space of peace, freedom, and a life of coexistence among cultures and religions," President Aoun concluded.