In a unifying gathering that brought together more than seventy doctors from Caritas Lebanon’s various centers and mobile clinics, the medical body of the Caritas family came together around one shared mission: to ensure that medicine serves the human person—body and soul—at the heart of the Church’s mission of mercy.
The meeting opened with a prayer and welcoming remarks by Father Michel Abboud, President of Caritas Lebanon, who emphasized the importance of this encounter with the doctors who, as he said, “embody the heart of Caritas’ mission and the compassionate face of the Church.”
Father Abboud presented an integrated vision of medicine as both a human and spiritual calling, one that transcends profession to become a participation in the healing mission of Christ, who “went about doing good and healing all who were sick.”
He added: “At Caritas, medicine is neither a business nor a mere job, but a sacred vocation to serve the human person in body and spirit. The doctor becomes a witness to God’s presence in suffering and a messenger of mercy in a world often driven by material interests.”
Father Abboud recalled Caritas Lebanon’s journey between 2020 and 2025—a period marked by successive crises: economic collapse, a global pandemic, the Beirut explosion, and the migration of skilled professionals. Amid these hardships, Caritas doctors remained steadfast in their mission, working in darkness, cold, and scarcity, carrying living hope and unshakable faith.
He said: “Through your daily work, you write the Gospel of Mercy in people’s lives. You do more than provide medicine—you plant peace in hearts and restore people’s faith that they are loved, even in their pain.”
He reaffirmed that Caritas places the human person at the core of its healthcare work, seeing each patient not as a statistic or a medical file, but as a face that carries a story and dignity. He called for strengthening teamwork among doctors, nurses, social workers, and administrators, reminding that “a patient needs more than a prescription—they need someone who listens to them as a person.”
He concluded: “Medicine at Caritas must always remain a medicine of mercy—one that heals, not condemns; that accompanies the person from suffering to the dawn of healing.”
Following his remarks, Dr. Habib Atallah, Caritas’ Medical Supervisor, delivered a presentation outlining the administrative guidelines required by the Ministry of Public Health, emphasizing adherence to international medical standards and commending the great efforts of doctors across Caritas’ centers and clinics.
Ms. Sandy Hakmeh, Head of the Health Department at Caritas Lebanon, then gave a comprehensive overview of the organization’s health programs, highlighting that “donor agencies have started knocking on our doors before we even knock on theirs.” She explained that these programs now cover all Lebanese regions through a wide network of health centers and mobile clinics. She thanked the doctors for their dedication and professionalism, noting that “every success in the health department is the result of your commitment and daily field efforts.” She also presented Caritas’ future strategies and coordination plans with the Ministry of Public Health within the national primary healthcare network.
The attending doctors then shared rich insights from their own experiences, addressing the difficult realities of the medical sector in Lebanon while reaffirming their determination to carry on their mission despite growing challenges.
In his closing remarks, Father Abboud expressed heartfelt gratitude to the doctors, saying: “What you do will remain engraved in the conscience of the Church and in the memory of all who have felt your love.” Quoting the Gospel of Saint Luke, the physician, he added: “And the power of the Lord was with him to heal the sick,” praying that this divine power may accompany every doctor in their daily mission—to be a living sign of God’s mercy in a wounded land that needs their hands, hearts, and radiant faces of love.
The gathering concluded with a meal reflecting an atmosphere of brotherhood and mutual appreciation.