At Sunday Mass, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi called for prayers to consecrate Lebanon and the countries of the Middle East to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, “so that every nation humbly stands before Mary’s heart and acknowledges that its authority is incomplete unless founded on truth, goodness, and mercy.

He added: “Today we remember with joy Pope Benedict XVI, who called for this consecration, believing that Mary’s heart is a safe refuge amid crises and challenges. He saw in this consecration a spiritual strength that preserves the Church’s mission in the East, protects our peoples from division and despair, and opens the path to peace and hope. The occasion for this call was the 2012 Special Roman Synod for the Middle East, at a time when the Arab world was struggling with the wars known as the ‘Arab Spring,’ which we rather saw then as an ‘Arab Winter.’ Pope Benedict, with his prophetic vision, saw in the Immaculate Heart a gathering embrace, a guiding light, and a protective shield. Marian devotion is not only popular sentiment but the theology of salvation embodied in our Mother Mary.”

He continued: “The consecration of Lebanon and the Middle East is a declaration of faith and a call of hope, affirming that this pure heart still beats with love for us and continues to call believers back to God, repentance, justice, and peace. Her Immaculate Heart is the last fortress, the open door to hope, and the secret of steadfastness amid ambiguity and chaos.”