A Lebanese Maronite Catholic priest has been killed in southern Lebanon when an Israeli artillery tank fired on a house March 9, Catholic officials and media said reports that have since been confirmed by OSV News.
Fr. Pierre al-Rahi, also known by his French name Pierre el-Raï, had earlier refused, along with other priests, to obey an order by the Israeli military to evacuate the Christian village of Qlayaa, a Maronite village of some 8,000 inhabitants in the Marjayoun district, a few miles from the Israeli border.
Pope Leo XIV expressed “profound sorrow for all the victims of the bombings in the Middle East over the last few days — for the many innocent people, including many children, and for those who were providing them with aid, such as Fr. Pierre El-Rahi, a Maronite priest killed this afternoon in Qlayaa,” the Vatican’s Telegram channel said.
The message posted by Holy See Press on Telegram said Leo “is following the situation with concern and prays that all hostilities will cease as soon as possible.”
The Israeli military has carried out an intensive campaign bombing on suspected Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon, south Beirut and the Bekaa Valley to root out the Iran-backed militia and their weapons. Hezbollah militants have been known to hide in Christian and other villages in the south. Some news reports stated that armed militants had entered the area.
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With thanks to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) and Dale Gavlak, where this article originally appeared.
