Thousands gathered on Wednesday to celebrate the funeral Mass of Fr. Pierre Al Rahi, the Catholic priest in southern Lebanon killed by IDF strikes earlier in the week.
Pope Leo praised Fr. Pierre as a “a true shepherd who always remained beside his people with the love and sacrifice of Jesus the Good Shepherd” during his general audience on the same day.
He also clarified the circumstances of Fr. Pierre’s death. “As soon as he heard that some parishioners had been wounded in a bombing, he rushed to help them without hesitation,” the pope said.
Catholics for Catholics had previously reported that it was indeed the second of two artillery shells fired that killed Fr. Pierre, but the circumstances of how Fr. Pierre arrived at the scene were initially unclear.
The Holy Father implored the audience to “continue to pray for peace in Iran and throughout the Middle East, especially for the many civilian victims, including many innocent children.”
Israel killed a beloved Priest in Lebanon in their vicious bombing campaign in Christian villages. Christians are gathered to mourn the death of Father Pierre El-Rahi.
— Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@FmrRepMTG) March 11, 2026
America must stop funding, providing weapons, and aiding Israel’s attacks on innocent people and children. https://t.co/X5DpQGFix6 pic.twitter.com/dBYAUbOJPX
Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green shared a photo of the mourners surrounding the casket of Fr. Pierre and wrote, “Israel killed a beloved Priest in Lebanon in their vicious bombing campaign in Christian villages. Christians are gathered to mourn the death of Father Pierre El-Rahi. America must stop funding, providing weapons, and aiding Israel’s attacks on innocent people and children.”
Just a few days before Fr. Pierre’s death, another Maronite Catholic, Sami Ghafari (age 70) was killed by an Israeli drone while tending to his garden. His brother is the parish priest at Our Lady’s Church in Alma al-Shaab.
Pray for Maronite Father Pierre al-Rahi who killed today by Israeli tank fire in Southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/u7sZgNuZAM
— Catholics for Catholics 🇺🇲 (@CforCatholics) March 9, 2026
