Exhibition of Churches Restored in Lebanon With Hungary’s Help Has Opened in Rome

Tristan Azbej

Hungary is working together with the Lebanese to preserve Christian cultural heritage, so it is no coincidence that Pope Leo XIV’s first foreign trip was to Lebanon, said Tristan Azbej, State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s programs to help persecuted Christians.

He added that Lebanon occupies a key position in its own region, among other things because of the Christian community still living in the country.

The state secretary opened the exhibition entitled Hope from the Ruins at the Hungarian Academy in Rome.

The photo exhibition presents 63 mostly medieval Lebanese churches, which have undergone archaeological preservation, renovation, and reconstruction since 2018 with the support of the Hungarian government through the Hungary Helps program, in cooperation with Pázmány Péter Catholic University (PPKE) and the Holy Spirit University in Kaslik, Lebanon.

Tristan Azbej emphasized that it was no coincidence that Rome, where the Jubilee Year of Hope is currently being celebrated, was chosen as the first international venue for the exhibition. He emphasized that Pope Leo XIV’s first apostolic journey at the end of November and beginning of December will take him to Lebanon as well as Turkey. The delegation he leads will have the opportunity to tell Pope Leo XIV at the general papal audience on Wednesday that Hungary is working together with Lebanese Christians for their future.

At the general papal audience on Wednesday, the delegation led by him will have the opportunity to tell Pope Leo XIV what Hungary is doing together with Lebanese Christians for their future and for the preservation of Christian cultural heritage. Tristan Azbej noted that the title of the photo exhibition was chosen by the Lebanese themselves.

Lebanon was once known as the Switzerland of the East, but today it is threatened with disintegration due to a series of conflicts and crises, ranging from the state of the economy to the catastrophic explosion at the port of Beirut and the migration crisis. “This country is held together by its past, its faith and its traditions,” he said.

He emphasized that the cooperation of PPKE’s world-class team of archaeologists with their Lebanese partners made it possible to rebuild historic buildings and, hopefully, restore Lebanese Christianity’s faith in the future.

Father Michel Jalakh OAM, secretary of the Vatican’s dicastery responsible for Eastern Churches, who is a Lebanese Maronite archbishop, gave a speech at the exhibition, saying that the photos symbolize “the power of humanity, dignity and faith.”

Speeches were also given by Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, ambassador to the Holy See, Joseph Mukarjel, rector of the Holy Spirit University in Kaslik, Sarkis Huri, director of archaeology at the Lebanese Ministry of Culture, and Zsolt Vágner, archaeologist at PPKE and project coordinator.

The choir of the Roman Maronite College sang at the opening ceremony. Péter Kovács, CEO of Hungary Helps, told MTI that this is about much more than just the reconstruction of churches.

This is important for local communities because it brings life back to the entire area, including economically,”

he explained.

The CEO mentioned the church in the village of Asmar Jbeil, which is Lebanon’s most popular wedding venue and serves to preserve local identity.

He added that the restoration of the churches has provided work for many Lebanese people, and now they are also tourist destinations, so the Hungarian project is also helping to curb emigration from Lebanon.

As for support for other Middle Eastern countries, Péter Kovács emphasized that the situation in Syria remains unstable, and that people in the Holy Land, Gaza, and the West Bank are also in dire need of humanitarian aid.

Via MTI; Featured image: Facebook/Azbej Tristan

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