Pope Leo hails Lebanon's 'Father of Greater Lebanon' after beatification

Pope Leo XIV has congratulated Lebanon's Maronite community following the beatification of one of its most celebrated religious and national figures, Patriarch Elias Hoayek.

During his weekly Angelus address on Sunday, the pope described Hoayek as "a man of dialogue and hope", adding that he was "an outstanding ecclesial, social and political leader, so much so that he came to be known as the 'Father of Greater Lebanon'."

"May the prayers and intercession of the new blessed always accompany the Maronite faithful throughout the world, and obtain the gift of peace for all the people of Lebanon, a country dear to my heart," he continued.

Hoayek, the 72nd Maronite patriarch who led the Church between 1899 and 1931, was beatified after the Vatican recognised a miracle attributed to his intercession.

The miracle involved a Druze officer in the Lebanese army who was reportedly cured of chronic bilateral spondylolysis after dreaming of Hoayek in 1965.

Hoayek played a pivotal role in the creation of modern Lebanon after the First World War, successfully lobbying for the establishment of Greater Lebanon under the French Mandate. His efforts earned him the title "Father of Greater Lebanon".

The Maronite Church spent five years pursuing Hoayek's beatification, the final stage before canonisation as a saint.

The Church marked the announcement with a mass on Saturday in Dimane, the summer residence of the Maronite patriarchate built by Hoayek.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam attended the ceremony, alongside Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, who represented Pope Leo, according to L'Orient Today.

Current Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai described Hoayek as "a luminous figure in the history of the Church and the nation".

"Sainthood is not an honour bestowed by men, but a gift from God to those who have lived the Gospel faithfully to the end," he said.

Al-Rai also prayed for Lebanon's stability, reconstruction, sovereignty, liberation and peace through Hoayek's intercession.

The prayer comes as Lebanon continues to grapple with the devastation of the ongoing Israeli war on the country.

Israeli forces still occupy several positions in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire framework, while Beirut is seeking to secure a full Israeli withdrawal and deploy the Lebanese army across the south as part of a US-backed agreement.