On Palm Sunday, which this year coincided with the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of Lebanon’s devastating civil war, Christian communities in Beirut held solemn prayer processions and religious marches as acts of remembrance, repentance, and a renewed call for national reconciliation.

The commemorations were led by prominent religious leaders, including Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, head of the Maronite Church, who addressed the faithful with a message of reflection and hope. “The war brought immeasurable suffering to the Lebanese people, destroyed a once-prosperous nation, and robbed an entire generation of their youth and joy,” the Patriarch said. “We have turned that tragic page, but we must learn from it to prevent another descent into division.”

He urged Lebanese society to reexamine its past in the spirit of openness and healing, adding that the country “needs a future worthy of its ancient civilization.”

Metropolitan Elias Audi of the Antiochian Orthodox Church echoed the call for spiritual unity, praying that the memory of the war would serve as a lasting warning. “Let the images of that tragedy remain in our collective memory so that they may never be repeated,” he said. “Lebanon must remain a strong and united nation, unshaken by new winds of conflict or the hand of destruction.”

At exactly noon, a nationwide minute of silence was observed at the request of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, symbolizing shared grief and remembrance. The moment of prayerful silence was held under the national slogan: “We Remember to Rebuild Together.”

On the eve of the anniversary, Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, serving as acting president, addressed the nation, affirming that only a strong, sovereign state can protect the people and secure lasting prosperity.

Lebanon’s civil war, which erupted in 1975 and ended with the signing of the Taif Agreement in 1989, claimed approximately 150,000 lives, with an estimated 17,000 people still missing.

Much of Beirut’s historic center—once divided by a frontline separating Christian and Muslim sectors—has since been restored, standing today as both a symbol of resilience and a reminder of the cost of conflict.