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01:24Good evening and welcome to Lebanon.
01:48Good evening and welcome to Lebanon.
02:18Good evening and welcome to Lebanon.
02:23Mr. President, distinguished civil and religious authorities, members of the diplomatic corps, ladies and gentlemen, blessed are the peacemakers.
02:36It is a great joy for me to meet with you and to visit this land where peace is much more than just a word.
02:47For here, peace is a desire and a vocation.
02:52It is a gift and a work in progress.
02:57You are invested with authority in this country, each in your own area and with specific roles.
03:02It is in light of this authority that I wish to address to you the words of Jesus that have been chosen as the central theme of my journey.
03:13Blessed are the peacemakers.
03:15Certainly, there are millions of Lebanese here and throughout the world who serve peace silently day after day.
03:25Yet you, who have important institutional tasks within this nation, are destined for a special beatitude if you can say that you have put the goal of peace above all else.
03:38In this meeting, I would like to reflect with you a little on what it means to be peacemakers in circumstances that are highly complex, conflictual, and uncertain.
03:51In addition to Lebanon's natural beauty and cultural riches, which have been praised by those of my predecessors who visited your country,
04:02there is a shining quality that distinguishes the Lebanese.
04:08You are a people who do not give up, but in the face of trials, you always know how to rise again with courage.
04:18Your resilience is an essential characteristic of authentic peacemakers, for the work of peace is indeed a continuous starting anew.
04:31Moreover, the commitment and love for peace, no fear in the face of apparent defeat,
04:39are not daunted by disappointment, but look ahead, welcoming and embracing all situations with hope.
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