ASIA/LEBANON - After the death of Father al-Raï: Christians in the south caught between evacuation pressure and the desire to stay

Tuesday, 10 March 2026 local churches oriental churches area crisis displaced persons armed conflicts

LEBANON

2026-03-10
After the death of Father al-Raï: Christians in the south caught between evacuation pressure and the desire to stay

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Beirut (Agenzia Fides) – In peacetime, it was rightly included by tour operators in lists of the “most beautiful Lebanese villages.” This morning, Alma al Chaab saw her families, all Christians, get into their cars and leave their beloved village, under the protection of UNIFIL soldiers. It was a difficult decision after they had refused for days to follow the orders of the Israeli army, which was urging the residents of villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate after invading Lebanese territory to attack positions and members of militias affiliated with the Shiite Hezbollah party.
The evacuation of Alma El-Chaab took place just hours after the assassination of Maronite priest Pierre al-Raï, parish priest of St. George's Church in the village of al Qlayaa. He was killed yesterday by Israeli soldiers after coming to the aid of some of his parishioners who had been wounded in a house hit by the Israeli army.
Less than two hours before his death, Father Pierre, in a telephone interview broadcast by the television station Tele Lumiere, reaffirmed his and the residents of al Qlayaa's firm intention not to leave their village: "Otherwise, one would lose all hope of returning." The same applies to the villages of Debel, Ain Ebel, and Rmeish, while even before the evacuation of Alma El-Chaab, the residents of the village of Kawzah had decided to leave their homes when the Israeli army invaded Lebanon. Father Pierre's funeral will take place tomorrow. “What has happened,” Toni Elias, a priest from the village of Rmeish, told Fides, “compels us to be even more vigilant in order to prevent anything that could endanger the village.” Last night, Pope Leo XIV also expressed his “deep sorrow” via the Telegram channel of the Holy See Press Office for “all the victims of the recent bombings in the Middle East, for the many innocent people, including many children, and for those who helped them, like Father Pierre El-Rahi.” (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 10/3/2026)