Faith and courage in Rmeish, southern Lebanon, on Good Friday
As Christians around the world walk with Christ to Calvary on Good Friday, a small Christian community in southern Lebanon is living its own Way of the Cross.
In the village of Rmeish, less than 2km from the Israeli border, Fr Toni Elias and the faithful who remain with him are facing bombardment, isolation and deep uncertainty. Their refusal to abandon their homes, where their ancestors kept the Christian faith alive for centuries, speaks of their firm faith and strong hope that this current time of grief and violence will come to an end.
‘We are practically cut off from the outside world. Only an old road can still be used and keeps us connected to Tyre. Yesterday, we managed to send a convoy with essential supplies along this road,’
says Fr Elias, a Maronite priest from the village of Rmeish.
‘The municipality is distributing food to families. But we don’t know how much longer the road to Tyre will remain open. We are praying that the Lord will shorten these days.’
The village of Rmeish is less than 2km from the Israeli border and faced a similar situation in October 2024 after southern Lebanon was invaded.
Faith amid bombs and bulldozers
Fr Elias recounts his experiences while bombing raids continue in the background. He reports that a house in the nearby Christian village of Ain Ebel was bombed last night. Miraculously, there were no deaths, but he goes on to say that during the night, the sounds of tanks and bulldozers approaching a Christian village that had already been evacuated three weeks prior could be heard.
Until the end
Fr Elias shared:
‘We will stay until the end. In the south, we are the only ones left in these few Christian villages. As long as we are here, this land will remain Lebanese land. We are resisting with our living flesh. We have nothing, we are helpless, our weapon is prayer. And if we were to leave, southern Lebanon would disappear. I am certain of that. And all the hard work of our ancestors, who built these villages in a blessed land, would be in vain.
‘The Lord created us as intelligent beings. But this gift seems to have been lost in a world where only the law of the strongest prevails.’
Fr Elias’ grief echoes the words of Pope Leo XIV on Palm Sunday, when he proclaimed:
‘Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:15).’
Now, on Good Friday, the Holy Father’s words resonate further:
‘As we set our gaze upon him who was crucified for us, we can see a crucified humanity. In his wounds, we see the hurts of so many women and men today. In his last cry to the Father, we hear the weeping of those who are crushed, who have no hope, who are sick and who are alone. Above all, we hear the painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war.
‘Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters!’
A testament of faith
In these dark days and terrible circumstances, the Church is and remains a symbol of hope. Last week, according to Fr Elias:
‘The Apostolic Nuncio, Paolo Borgia, also visited, along with the Maronite Bishop of Tyre, Charbel Abdallah, and a representative of the Patriarch. A convoy of humanitarian aid, organised by Catholic associations and groups, accompanied them. It was a testament to the unity of the entire Church, which we were privileged to experience firsthand, and it comforted us.’
Darkness is not the end
The people who stay in Rmeish do not do so because life is easy, safe or predictable. They stay because they believe that Christ has already entered the darkest places and that the final word will never belong to violence, but to love.
On this Good Friday, as we keep watch at Christ’s tomb, the witness of Fr Elias and the community of Rmeish reminds us that Good Friday does not end in darkness. Even while standing at the foot of the Cross, we set our hearts to listen for the rumblings of Resurrection. And that hope – quiet, stubborn and deeply rooted – remains alive in Rmeish.
Even in the world’s most forsaken places, the seeds of Resurrection are already planted.
Lord,
may I never forget
that with each kind word
and merciful act,
I help to create a culture of love,
that counteracts a culture of hate.
Remind me that my love makes a difference.
Amen.