TEHRAN – Pope, like Christ, you too can make the greatest miracle of peace of the 21st century a reality.
With humility and respect, I greet you, the great successor of Christ.
I have an unusual but very practical suggestion for you.
In a century filled with war, murder, and youthful indifference to spirituality, I hope that you will use this historic opportunity of your courageous journey to Lebanon so that all of us, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and even non-believers, will kneel before your humanitarian gesture as heirs of the great Christ who seek peace.
All that is needed is for the words of the Way of Christ, which have been so often spoken on the sidelines of the vast gatherings of St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, to be extended elsewhere and to continue to be put into practice, so that all of us, believers and non-believers alike, may once again truly believe in the existence of miracles in our time.
Just as we all believe in the Bible, where the great and holy Christ brought faith to the people of his time by raising the dead, healing the blind, and even accepting the pain of the cross and iron nails to give his life, you, too, can perform miracles today.
This experience has already had a very humane and miraculous result once in Lebanon.
In 1975, during the Lebanese civil war between the various Muslim, Christian, Communist, and Palestinian factions, a Shiite cleric named Imam Musa al-Sadr announced a sit-in and hunger strike in the middle of the battlefield at Al Safa Mosque in Beirut. He said he would not leave the mosque under fire until the killing and fighting between these groups ends and a real ceasefire is declared. At the beginning of the action he said these words: These are the words that all of us around the world heard in Vatican press releases during the last two years of war and expected to see them implemented, and most of them came from you.
“All yesterday and last night I heard the complaints of men and the cries of orphans and widows. Despite all my efforts to keep my eyes open, the shelling did not stop and the situation worsened. At 2:00 pm, I decided to hold a sit-in and start a fast. I have nothing but God’s books and a little water. I will remain here until I am martyred or my country returns to its natural state. I have come here to pray to God to save my country.”
And in honor of him, everyone stopped fighting.
I am sure that you too are willing to use your personal strength to save innocent people. I believe that once you set foot in Lebanon, you will never leave until the war and crimes against the land truly end. Christ’s miracles two thousand years ago were raising the dead and giving sight to the blind. Your miracle in the 21st century can actually be much more modern and amazing for today’s world. It is about preventing the killing of living people in Lebanon and preventing the maiming of children and women.
If you want to strengthen your faith and belief in the existence of God and His Messenger Christ, I suggest you give up your stay in the great palaces of the Vatican for a few months and stay in Lebanon. Our purpose is to demonstrate to all of us Muslims, Jews, non-believers, and even less faithful Christians that Christ’s miracles of peace are still possible in the 21st century.
Otherwise, I would be joining the logic of my Jewish American peace activist and friend Rabbi Phil Bentley. He said this in a debate with atheists. “Neither do I believe in the false God you are imagining and fighting in your heart.”
Now, on this journey, the God of Christ has entrusted to you the same power that Christ entrusted to his good disciple Peter. “Upon this rock I will build my church, and the powers of hell will never prevail against it. I will give you (Peter) the keys of the kingdom of God, so that every door you open on earth will be opened in heaven, and every door you close on earth will be closed in heaven.”
His Majesty Pope Leon,
People around the world have heard many words about faith from the mouth of ISIS in the name of Islam, from the mouth of Netanyahu in the name of Judaism, and from the mouth of Trump in the name of Christianity. But across all beliefs, religions, and ideologies, all of us around the world today look to Your practical miracles in Lebanon to strengthen our faith.
There is no doubt that through your actions you can restore to us, the people of the world, the true faith of Christ and the spirit of peace.
We apologize for making this frank and bold request.
From a man who represents all peace-loving people of the world, regardless of religion, race, or political affiliation.