By Hussein Yassine

Beirut: Pope Francis has received a wooden crucifix made from debris collected in the aftermath of the Beirut Port explosion.

The crucifix was created by Mario Khoury using the shattered wood of the doors and windows of the Maronite Archdiocese of Beirut, which was heavily damaged during the August 4, 2020 blast.

It was presented to the Pope by Father Pierre Najm, President-General of the Mariamite Maronite Order in Lebanon.

The Order announced the gesture in a statement on June 17, in which Father Najm thanked the Pope for his interest in and love for the Order, and for Lebanon, reiterating the Order’s “commitment to its spiritual, social, national, and educational role.”

Notably, Pope Francis is set to receive the leaders of the Lebanese Christian communities in the Vatican City in July, in order to discuss the latest developments in crisis-hit Lebanon.

The Pope has repeatedly cast light on the worsening situation in Lebanon, especially in the aftermath of the Beirut Port explosion.

After returning from his historic visit to Iraq back in April, he announced his intention to visit Lebanon, without specifying a date.

In the same month, the Pope met Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and revealed that he would only visit Lebanon after a government has been formed.

On August 4, 2020, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, exploded, causing at least 207 deaths, 7,500 injuries, and US$15 billion in property damage. It also left an estimated 300,000 people homeless.

A cargo of 2,750 tons of the substance had been stored in a warehouse without proper safety measures for the previous six years, after having been confiscated by the Lebanese authorities from the abandoned ship MV Rhosus. The explosion was preceded by a fire in the same warehouse, but as the exact cause of the detonation is still under investigation.

The blast was also felt across Turkey, Syria, Israel, Palestine, parts of Europe, and was heard in Cyprus, more than 240 km away. It was detected by the United States Geological Survey as a seismic event of magnitude 3.3, and is considered one of the most powerful artificial non-nuclear explosions in history.

Source: https://www.the961.com/pope-francis-crucifix-beirut-blast-debris/