Speaker Berri: Pope Francis leaves us with his heart and soul fixed on Palestine, Lebanon, and all those in pain

Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri expressed profound sorrow over the passing of Pope Francis, honoring him as a spiritual leader who championed humanity, peace, and the oppressed.

In his statement, Berri drew from both the Bible and the Quran to emphasize the Pope's role in promoting interfaith understanding and compassion. 

"In this season of resurrection, hope, and faith, he spoke his final sermon and departed," Berri said. "He carried his cross and walked on. His heart, which embraced all — the poor, the oppressed, and the suffering — beat one final time with love."

Berri remembered the Pope's unwavering moral voice, saying, "In a time when humanity is in desperate need of a unifying word, we lose a figure who spoke only truth — 'In the beginning was the Word.'"

He praised the Pope as "a priest, a humble monk, a man who renounced titles and lived the divine message with Jesuit grace, teaching that one cannot love God while hating man."

"He leaves us with his eyes, heart, and soul fixed on Palestine, Lebanon, and all those in pain across the earth," Berri added.

On behalf of himself and the Lebanese Parliament, Berri extended condolences to the Catholic community in Lebanon and around the world, the College of Cardinals, and the Vatican, praying for Pope Francis's eternal peace and for strength to those mourning his loss.