The former Archbishop of Washington and the President of the American Caritas, Cardinal Edward McCarrick, who had reached to Lebanon on Wednesday the 9th of August 2006, and had meetings with the President of the republic Emile Lahoud, the Speaker of the parliament Nabih Berri and the Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. On Thursday, the 10th of August 2006, in the Apostolic Nunciature he met with the Christian communities in Lebanon and their representatives. The meeting was attended by His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX,Catholicos Patriarch of Cilicia for the Armenian Catholics,His Beatitude Abdul Ahad Patriarch for the Assyrian Catholics, the Head of the Evangelical Church, as well as the representative bishops of the Maronite, Greek, Catholic, Latin, Assyrian orthodox communities.

Cardinal McCarrick informed that he had come to Lebanon to express the compassion of the Catholic church of the United Sates for Lebanon and the Lebanese.He invited all the participants to express their ideas and to clarify the situations in all the fields so that he in his turn can transfer it to whom it may concern.

The Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Luigi Gatti informed that on Tuesday the 15th of August,on the occasion of the celebration of theLatin Assumption, the Holy Mass will be offered for peace in Lebanon in the Basilica of Harissa in the presence of a special representative on behalf of the Holy Father.