As you may already know, I am Roman Catholic but practice my faith in a Maronite Catholic parish. The See of the Maronite Church, is in Bkerke, Lebanon. Our young pastor (only 34), is a monastic missionary priest. Since retirement, I volunteer 2 days at the rectory where I compile materials for and publish the weekly bulletin. This morning, I spoke with the priest about the unrest in the Middle East and its possible impact on the pope's visit. We are well aware that this trip was planned earlier in the year and the pope has held steadfast to his plans. We also know that Lebanon is unique in that the christians and muslims assist each other in times of need. After all the reassurances, he said something that exemplifies the depth of faith of those christians. He explained that if anything should happen to the pope during this visit to Lebanon, it will be in accordance with the will of God. This sentiment runs deep in that part of the world. If you think about it, it makes great sense. If someone wants to kill the pope, they can do it at the Vatican or on any of his trips. Rest assured, though, that the country has prepared for the Holy Father's visit and the people are very excited to welcome him. Both christians and muslims have been offering up a week of prayers for Pope Benedict.
Great Point.