Rajji from Rome: “Lebanon’s message is founded on faith, pluralism, knowledge, openness, and peace”

Foreign Minister and Minister of Emigrants Youssef Rajji visited the Maronite Pontifical Institute in Rome, accompanied by a delegation that included Lebanon’s ambassador to the Holy See, Fadi Assaf, and Lebanon’s ambassador to Italy, Carla Jazzar.

He was received by Monsignor Georges Abi Saad, the patriarchal representative to the Holy See and president of the Maronite Pontifical Institute in Rome, the institute’s director Monsignor Joseph Sfeir, a number of priests, members of the Maronite Pontifical Institute community, and several members of the Lebanese diaspora.

Rajji expressed his “happiness at visiting this venerable historic institution.” In the institute’s guestbook, he wrote a message stressing “the importance of the presence of the Maronite school and the Patriarchal Agency in Rome, given what they embody in terms of the depth of the relationship between the Maronites and the Holy See, and their highlighting of Lebanon’s message founded on faith, pluralism, knowledge, openness, and peace.”

He said that “this institution has been a beacon of knowledge and culture that contributed to preparing pioneers who carried Lebanon’s civilizational image to the world and consolidated its role as a space of encounter between civilizations and cultures.”

He pointed to “the importance of the role played by Lebanese expatriates in building bridges of communication between Lebanon and the world, in conveying Lebanon’s cultural and human image, and in strengthening its presence in the societies in which they reside.”

He also affirmed “Lebanon’s commitment to the principle of peace, extending the authority of the state over its entire territory, and consolidating stability in a way that guarantees a better future for all Lebanese.”