Rome, Dec. 11, 2006 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI voiced his concerns about the Middle East, and particularly about Lebanon, during his Angelus audience on Sunday, December 10.
 
 Speaking to large crowd of about 40,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father pressed international leaders to find “peaceful and balanced solutions” to resolve the problems of a region “where glimmers of a solution to crises tormenting the region alternate with tensions and difficulties that give rise to fears of further violence.”
 
 The Pope gave his explicit endorsement to a statement released last week by the Maronite Catholic hierarchy, headed by Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, saying that the political leaders of Lebanon must “have at heart exclusively the good fo the country and harmony among its communities.” He also urged international leaders to help Lebanon establish a secure and independent regime.
 
 Pope Benedict had begun his remarks with some thoughts on the construction of new parish churches, noting that this building process is “a concrete sign of the Church as community, made up of the living stones who are believers.”
 
 Noting that he had visited the new Roman parish church of St. Mary Star of Evangelization earlier in the day, the Pontiff said that the process of building churches has a particularly appropriate symbolism for Advent, since “preparing for Christmas means commitment to building ‘the house of God with men.”