Nabih Berri told Vatican Radio that during «the crisis in Iraq, his [the Pope’s] position has been a salvation for each one of the people of the region.» Berri gave the interview following his audience with the Holy Father on Thursday at the papal summer resident in Castel Gandolfo.
«I want to express to His Holiness our gratitude for having contributed to safeguard relations between Christians and Muslims,» the Lebanese leader said.
«Lebanon is in a certain sense a mirror of the Middle East and, therefore, everything that happens in the region has immediate repercussions in Lebanon,» he explained. «For this reason, the Pope’s action has been a good for all of us, not only for Islam, but also for Christianity.»
«I know very well the love and respect that John Paul II feels for the Lebanon,» Berri added. «I have been able to meet with him in the past: believe me, he loves Lebanon more than any Lebanese does.»
