Young Lebanese Diana Abi Nader sings Syriac rite before Pope Francis in Marseille

Young Lebanese Diana Abi Nader sang Ave Maria in Syriac before Pope Francis, inspired by the two Eastern rites of the Orthodox and Syriac traditions. 

According to La Croix, a daily French general-interest Roman Catholic newspaper, the young Maronite liturgical singer, who grew up in Beirut and is now living in Marseille, left the capital shortly after the August 4, 2020 explosion, and is working on a thesis on port logistics.

Wearing the Lebanese flag on her shoulders, Diana sang in front of the Pope and bishops at the end of the closing session of the Mediterranean Meetings.

 

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A video uploaded by KTO, a French-language Catholic television channel, shows Pope Francis applauding and shaking the hand of the Lebanese singer at the end of her performance.