Patriarch Istifan al-Duwayhi (Estephan El Douaihy), who led the Maronite Church from 1670 to 1704, was beatified in Lebanon on August 3.
During his Angelus address the following day, Pope Francis described Blessed al-Duwayhi as a “teacher of the faith and an attentive pastor,” a “witness of hope always close to the people,” who ministered “during a difficult time marked also by persecution.”
“Even today, the Lebanese people suffer so much! In particular, I think of the families of the victims of the explosion at the Port of Beirut,” the Pope continued, referring to the 2020 incident. “I hope that justice and truth will soon be done. May the new Blessed sustain the faith and hope of the Church in Lebanon, and intercede for this beloved country.”