On Friday, January 6, 2023, at 6 PM, His Beatitude Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi celebrated a divine mass for the repose of the soul of Pope Benedict XVI at the Our Lady of Lebanon Shrine in Harissa. He was assisted in the mass by the Patriarchal Vicar for the city of Jounieh, Bishop Antoine Nabil Andari, the Bishop of Byblos Michel Aoun, Father Maroun Mbarak, General President of the Lebanese Maronite Missionaries, and Father Fadi Tabit, the head of the shrine.
Attendees included former President Michel Suleiman, Minister Makary, the Minister of Information, the President of the Maronite League, the Papal Ambassador, a number of bishops, priests, monks, nuns, spiritual and church organizations, Caritas, the Lebanese Red Cross, and the Maronite Scouts, as well as members of the Knights of the Cedar, who served at the mass, in addition to a congregation of faithful.
In his speech, His Beatitude spoke about the qualities of the Pope, his friend, delivering an emotional address that was interrupted by applause from the crowd several times. He discussed the late Pope’s life from his childhood until his death, outlining the stages of his life from childhood to entering the monastery, his priestly and episcopal ordination, and his election as successor to Saint Pope John Paul II.
His Beatitude emphasized the impact of the late Pope’s visit to Lebanon and its fruits and his signing of the special synod for Lebanon. He concluded his moving speech by recalling the last words spoken by the late Pope before leaving this life, referencing the moment of Christ appearing to Peter after the resurrection and asking him if he loved Him, ending with the heartfelt response from both Peter and Benedict, when they said, "Yes, Lord, you know that we love you," leading Christ to tell them, "Feed my sheep."
