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Charles-Henri d’Aragon à son bureau à Aïn el-Remmaneh : « Je n’ai pu m’empêcher de placer mes propos sous le signe de l’émotion. » Photo Marwan Assaf

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Bertrand Besancenot, ancien ambassadeur de France au Qatar et en Arabie saoudite, et un ancien de Jamhour, succédera à Charles-Henri d’Aragon.

Fady NOUN | OLJ 22/02/2019

En guise de discours d’adieu, c’est un autoportrait attachant et ému qu’a brossé pour ses invités Charles-Henri d’Aragon, ambassadeur de l’ordre souverain de Malte au Liban, lors de la soirée en son honneur offerte mercredi dans un restaurant de la rue Sursock, à Achrafieh. Et en guise de départ définitif, c’est… un faux départ qu’il a annoncé puisque, en quittant la direction de l’ambassade, il saisit au vol le trapèze de l’Association Malte-Liban, où il succède à la princesse Françoise de Lobkowicz, ce qui lui permettra de servir l’ordre et de revenir régulièrement au Liban.

Au cocktail d’adieu, se sont associés, en particulier, Albert Serhane, ministre de la Justice, représentant le chef de l’État ; le député Michel Moussa, représentant le président de la Chambre ; la députée (dont le mandat a été invalidé) Dima Jamali, représentant le Premier ministre ; Najla Assaker, représentant le ministre des Affaires étrangères, et Mgr Antoine Seif, représentant le patriarche maronite.

Sous le signe de l’émotion

« Je n’ai pu m’empêcher de placer mes propos sous le signe de l’émotion, a dit le diplomate. Ce départ est mon second de cette ville. Je n’ai pas oublié le premier en septembre 1980. Après quatre ans de services à l’ambassade de France, rue Clemenceau, je quittais en larmes mon domicile proche de Gefinor pour n’arriver à sécher mes yeux qu’à la hauteur de l’Unesco. J’y repense en regardant parmi vous des amis d’alors dont la fidélité me touche profondément. Tout cela pour vous dire combien ce premier séjour avait été marquant pour moi et combien son souvenir a pesé dans ma décision d’y revenir pour servir l’Ordre de Malte.»

« Deux raisons m’ont poussé à prendre la décision de quitter mes fonctions, a enchaîné Charles-Henri d’Aragon, avant d’annoncer le nom de son successeur. La couleur de mes cheveux, d’abord, mais surtout le fait que j’avais déniché un excellent candidat à ma succession (…). J’ai pensé à mon ami Bertrand Besancenot (…). Ancien élève de Jamhour, il connaissait bien le Liban où il avait de nombreux amis, il avait passé une grande partie de sa carrière dans des postes importants de la région où sa maîtrise de la langue arabe lui avait ouvert bien des portes et des cœurs. Ambassadeur au Qatar puis en Arabie, il avait rendu, dans ces deux pays, des services signalés à l’Église qui lui ont valu la reconnaissance du Saint-Père. »

À son successeur, l’ambassadeur a annoncé : « J’ai découvert en février 2012 – dans l’Association libanaise des chevaliers de Malte – une organisation parfaitement huilée qui faisait fonctionner à plein régime des centres médico-sociaux dans tout le pays, des unités médicales mobiles, des centres pour le 3e âge, un centre de physiothérapie et un centre de vacances pour les handicapés, sans oublier le programme Caravane et l’activité des jeunes de l’ordre. Et cela au service de tous.

« Aujourd’hui, que de nouveaux projets ont été réalisés! La plupart des centres ont été agrandis et modernisés, un nouveau a ouvert à Deir el-Ahmar. Trois nouvelles unités médicales mobiles ont été mises en place. Le centre de vacances de Chabrouh a été transformé et doté d’une chapelle qui peut s’enorgueillir d’être le premier lieu de culte consacré par l’ordre dans la région depuis son départ de Terre sainte en 1291. En même temps, le nombre de camps de vacances a explosé, et l’on est obligé d’agrandir le centre d’accueil des volontaires de Caravane. Le nombre des jeunes de l’ordre a plus que doublé, et je ne parlerai pas des projets à démarrer prochainement. »

Le cèdre en Albigeois

Remerciant le président de l’Association libanaise des chevaliers de Malte, Marwan Sehnaoui, qui lui a décerné la suprême distinction de l’ordre, le diplomate a précisé : « Ce n’est pas à moi, ce soir, qu’il faut rendre hommage, mais à ceux qui, au quotidien, incarnent sur le terrain nos idéaux : à toi, d’abord, et tes vaillantes troupes, à Paul Saghbini et à son bureau technique, au Dr Issa (Farkh), à nos sœurs, nos dames de la Fondation Moussa Sadr, à Khaled Kaskas, à nos médecins, nos infirmières, nos soignants, notre personnel administratif, nos chauffeurs (…). Je ne voudrais surtout pas oublier nos jeunes (…). Ce sont eux l’avenir prometteur de l’ordre. »

Par ailleurs, l’ambassadeur sortant a eu des mots touchants « pour la petite équipe de l’ambassade, à commencer par mon vieil ami et complice de près d’un demi-siècle, François (Abi Saab), qui a accepté de venir nous rejoindre après une carrière exceptionnellement longue et bien remplie à l’ambassade de France où je l’avais connu en 1976. Son humour tendre et féroce dissimule parfois le sérieux de son engagement ».

Sa secrétaire Fadia Mahfouz a également eu droit à un mot touchant. « Grâce à vous, a-t-il dit, grâce à la générosité de la pépinière Mahfouz, j’ai pu planter quelques cèdres sur mon bout de terre en Albigeois (sud de la France). Le matin, en ouvrant ma fenêtre, je vois le plus beau d’entre eux au fond de la prairie qui donne sur le parc. Vous pouvez deviner alors à quoi je pense. »

Et Charles-Henri d’Aragon, sans quitter le thème du cèdre, de conclure adroitement son discours « d’adieu » en remerciant le chef de l’État de lui avoir décerné l’ordre du Cèdre. « Je n’ai pas voulu voir dans ce geste qui m’a touché la reconnaissance de mes mérites, mais celle de l’amour que je porte depuis longtemps à ce pays », a-t-il conclu avec élégance.

Photo above, in the front row, from left to right: Ms Bénédicte Schutz, Director of International Cooperation, Ms Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mr Bechara El Khoury, Monaco’s Consul in Lebanon.
In the back row, from left to right: H.E. Mr Umberto Di Capua, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Principality for the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, Mr Marwan Sehnaoui, President of the Lebanese Association of the Knights of the Order of Malta, Ms Oumayma Farah, General Delegate and Chief Communication Officer for the Lebanese Association of the Knights of the Order of Malta, Ms Elodie Martin, Lebanon Programme Manager for the Department of International Cooperation.

Published on the Government Portal of the Principality of Monaco.

On Tuesday 5 February 2019, a delegation* led by Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, received Marwan Sehnaoui, President of the Lebanese Association of the Knights of the Order of Malta (ALCM), at the Ministry of State, in the presence of H.E. Mr Umberto Di Capua, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Order of Malta in the Principality.

The meeting highlighted the importance of the partnership between the Government and the ALCM, and follows a ministerial visit to Lebanon in April 2018, when Gilles Tonelli, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, was able to see for himself the project that Monaco’s Official Development Assistance is supporting in Kefraya, in the Beqaa Governorate. This is a project which aims to improve living standards for elderly people in rural areas, particularly with regard to health care, by maintaining a social network. 

Since 2017, the Principality of Monaco has been increasing its support for vulnerable groups in Lebanon as the country faces significant challenges due in part to the crisis in Syria. In 2020, the partnership between the Prince’s Government and the ALCM could be extended in areas of shared interest, such as health or support for people with disabilities. 

The actions taken together with the ALCM fall under the framework agreement signed by the Prince’s Government and the Order of Malta in 2012.

* Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bechara El Khoury, Monaco’s Consul in Lebanon, Bénédicte Schutz, Director of International Cooperation, and Elodie Martin, Lebanon Programme Manager for the Department of International Cooperation.

By Doreen Abi Raad.

Anthony can hardly contain his delight, as he spins around with a huge smile and shining eyes.
That joy is typical of the reaction of Anthony and his fellow residents at a psychiatric institution when the Caravan group with the Order of Malta Lebanon comes to visit three times a week.
Anthony basks in the undivided attention from Caravanista Antonie Borggreve as they dance to the beat of background music, their arms flapping together in harmony.

Nearby, Toufic and Caravanista Felicitas von Kessel sit side-by-side. When Felicitas whistles a soft bird call near Toufic’s ear followed by a kiss on his cheek, he shyly smiles as he leans forward with a shiver of elation.
It’s all part of the Caravan program, a joint initiative of the German and Lebanese Associations of the Order of Malta, that brings youth 18 and older from abroad to Lebanon for 10 months to serve the disabled community, who are affectionately referred to as “guests.”
Now in its 10th year, the Caravan project sprung forth from the Order of Malta Lebanon’s Chabrouh camps for the mentally and physically disabled so as to offer its guests continuity throughout the year in their everyday institutional environment.
Typically, Caravanistas choose to spend an enriching “gap year” before entering university. While currently a German-Lebanese project, the Order of Malta Lebanon aims to broaden the scope of the Caravan program with international participation. Although the current Caravan gathers 14 youth from Germany and one from Belgium, previous Caravan groups had gathered youth from many other European countries.

Their Caravan adventure began with a ten days introductory camp in Lebanon to then participate in the summer Chabrouh camps. There, in Chabrouh’s pristine mountain setting, the Caravanistas get personally acquainted with many of the guests whom they will later visit in institutional facilities.
“Even though it was exhausting, it was so beautiful,” Felicitas says of her experience at Chabrouh. “Your heart gets open.”
Although Caravan participants usually don’t have prior experience working with the mentally and physically disabled, they are drawn to the Order’s spirit of serving guests with love, upholding the dignity of every human being.
Where Anthony and Toufic live, for example, the ratio of caregivers to residents is 60 to 3, which does not allow much opportunity for individual attention. Caravanistas — as well as local Order of Malta youth volunteers who visit such facilities — fill that void, showering guests with unconditional love. A caretaker likened their visits to that of extended family, like aunts and uncles, nurturing special bonds with their presence.
“It was hard at first,” admits Antonie. “But my role is to give and show the guests as much joy and love as I can. And I feel that I receive so much more from the guests than I give to them. It’s amazing. When you receive a smile from a guest and feel that you are making new steps and the relationship is growing closer, it’s an incredible joy.”

Caravanista Leopoldina von Waldburg observes, “we realize they are people, just like us. They have feelings and a great capacity to love. I see that my guests each have their own personalities. Not only do we call them our guests, but they are our friends, our ‘habibis’ (sweethearts).”
Living together in a house close to Beirut, the Caravanistas share day-to-day responsibilities, including cooking and cleaning. This sense of community and the opportunity to share with each other the emotions, challenges and progress they experience with guests is a constant source of strength and support.
The Caravanistas are also sustained by prayer. They pray together several times a day, beginning with morning prayers. In particular, they pray for God’s strength and guidance before embarking on a visit to a facility to spend time with their guests.
“In making our guests our first priority, I grew in faith,” notes Felicitas.
The varied, full Caravan schedule includes Lebanese language lessons in their group home as well as attending the Jesuit Saint Joseph University in Beirut (USJ) for a specially designed curriculum that includes the history of the Middle East, Christianity and Islam for which 16 internationally recognized ECTS points (European Credit Transfer System) are awarded.
Throughout their stay, the Caravanistas also assist in teaching English and math in a school for Syrian refugee children.

The Caravan itinerary also features regular excursions to explore Lebanon’s historical sites and opportunities to experience its rich culture.
Like her fellow Caravanistas, one of the most difficult challenges Felicitas foresees is that it will be “so horrible to say goodbye” to the guests when it’s time to leave Lebanon. But what gives consolation, Felicitas explained, is that “there always will be someone who will be loving our guests,” thanks to the Chabrouh summer camps and subsequent Caravan groups. “That’s what makes the Caravan program so special.”

Each Caravan group also leaves a legacy in Lebanon. At the psychiatric institution, for example, colorful murals grace many of its walls. One group even funded a special therapeutic sensory room there, designed to awaken and facilitate the seven senses.

Since its inception in 2009, a total of 122 youth participated in the Caravan project, and around 15 are expected for the coming year. Their involvement continues way beyond Lebanon. Back in their homelands, Caravan alumni serve as unofficial ambassadors as they share their extraordinary experiences with others abroad, thus building momentum internationally for participation in future Caravan programs in Lebanon.
And every two years, the Caravan community also have an opportunity to rekindle and forge new bonds with their peers and guests during a Caravan Alumni camp at Chabrouh.

As the sun sets over the Chabrouh centre during those lovely autumn days, the daunting dwelling and its lovely courtyard stand proud and warm whilst heartfelt emotions stroll through its walls. This year, the Chabrouh project celebrated two decades of uncompromising support and dedication from Lebanese and international volunteers to their guests; those much in need of sincere love as they suffer from disabilities, cerebral palsy, down-syndrome, autism or epilepsy are accordingly often marginalised and forgotten.
Chabrouh has been labelled “The house of Love” as one can only feel overwhelming emotions on its grounds. It truly teaches you to love and be loved. But it is also the house of celebrations as such sincere sentiments transpire through the cheers, laughter and dancing vibes moving an astonishingly vibrant crowd. As you look closely, you’ll witness cheerful young people caring gently for the center’s guests. And as you take a closer look, you’ll see incapacitated guest transported with joy as they walk around those sunny gardens without a care in the world. If this isn’t proof that the power of love transcends pain, suffering and loneliness, then what does?

Delving into the origins of the Chabrouh camps help understand the spirit of this project brought to life by a young German volunteer that visited Lebanon in 1997. Touched by the severity of mental and physical disability cases witnessed throughout his journey, he understood the relevance of love, care and chose to restore dignity to those set aside by society. A few years later, following in his footsteps, young Lebanese volunteers deeply moved by their German counterpart’s grand gesture, dove fully into this ambitious project setting in motion 26 one week camps yearly.

As the camps gain momentum and international recognition, the Chabrouh building transformed into a state-of-the art facility started enjoying the growing support and contribution of the international youth of the Order of Malta, gathering 8 nationalities and 14 leading delegations. Czech, Swiss, German, French, Italian, English, Dutch and Spanish camps alternate throughout the year as young volunteers eagerly await their journey to the land of Cedars.
The vision of the project relies on the foundation of a one-on-one relationship built between a volunteer and a guest, whereby a fundamentally unique bond carried through the warmth of the human touch, care and sincere love for the other materializes. Home for more than 900 volunteers from all over the world gathered to elevate the pain of over 600 Lebanese disabled guest yearly, the Chabrouh camps became to all an educational bridge for the strengthening of faith, self-confidence, tolerance and respect towards others. It is truly a spiritual and life-changing experience for volunteers returning back to their respective countries with poignant memories.

As time goes by, the center continues to grow both in size and in relevance. Initially led by the Youth of the Order of Malta Lebanon, the center became today a multigenerational and multinational beacon as it gathers in camps parents, children and friends from across the world. It also reunites Knights and Dames in the spirit of continuous service and action through the Order. An unprecedented spirit emanates from those camps as German, Dutch and English Knights, Dames and Caravan volunteers stroll along the facility holding the hands of our Lords the sick or pushing their wheelchairs across the ramps. Those travellers have chosen to dedicate through the camps a full week of their lives to come specifically to Lebanon to pamper our disabled guests much in need of love, attention and human touch. Even the “Mamas” – over 65 years old – travelling from their respective countries, join the camps to offer traditional cooking to our guests. The relationship established between those international travellers and the center’s guests proves to be of such emotional and spiritual weight to both. Camps are so lively, filled with fun activities, music and laughter. The veteran Dutch & British camp completes this year’s round of attending delegations at Chabrouh. What started with a couple of random volunteers back in 2011, grew to become today a full-fledged camp from both countries. Since 2012, they come back each year to infuse joy, show commitment and care to our Lords the sick, to expose them to new experiences and new outings.

Franz. 65 years old, is attending for the second consecutive year the Knights & Dames camp. “At 1st, I had heard about Chabrouh through my son and daughter as they both enrolled in the camps several times in the past. They came home transported with happiness and emotions. I thought to myself, this sounds absolutely fascinating, I have to get the same experience. I’ve been here for 5 days with my guest Charbel and I already know that I will be coming back again next year”.

Camilla, 59 years old, is a 1st timer at Chabrouh. “I’ve heard about the camps through friends who had been here a couple of years back. My son also came to Chabrouh and I can tell you that this experience really turned his life around. As both my son and husband suffer from disabilities, Chabrouh doesn’t strike me personally as a new experience. However, I wanted to be part of the Chabrouh community, pray and share the power of faith with others as well as communicate love and support to others in need. It is a great honour to be here”.

Johanna, 38 years old, has been coming to Chabrouh for the past 13 years. “I prefer spending my vacation here instead of travelling to other destinations. Both my daughters and husband have been accompanying me for the past years. It is such a rewarding experience for the entire family”.

Charbel, a 26 years old men suffering from physical and mental disabilities told me once “Chabrouh is my home; I feel loved and safe here”.
Those touching words carry the essence of this project and will empower its perpetuation in time.

On the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of the Order of Malta Chabrouh project, the newly appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, H.E. Msgr. Joseph Spitery, celebrated a beautiful mass in the centers courtyard.

Beloved guests with disabilities, joint Lebanese, Swiss and German volunteers, Chaplains and members of the Lebanese association gathered to pray under the spiritual guidance of H.E. Msgr. Joseph Spitery accompanied by Msgr. Yvan Santus, Fr. Raymond Bou Assi, Director of the Center, Fr. Joseph Nassar, Director of Hotel Dieu Hospital and Fr. Khalil Rahme leading the enchanting choir composed of young Caravan volunteers.

Spiteris homily stated that opening ourselves to others can free us from our weaknesses. He insisted that we grow while attending to each others needs and that the Lords love is not translated through words, sentiments or the will to help, but the actions done to support each other. He added that serving others is done through the partnership, support and care offered, and this is exactly what is witnessed here in Chabrouh through the actions of those young volunteers.

Finally, he concluded with: We need to dream of a better world and find the courage to bring those dreams to life.

Reaching its 20 years anniversary, Chabrouh center certainly became the house that teaches us the true meaning of love. It continues its growth path as it supports and cares for over 600 disabled guests on yearly basis.

Following the 1^st round of piano concerts offered back in April 2018, the Order of Malta Lebanon through its partnership with the Resonnance Foundation and supported by Societe General de Banque au Liban, pursued its beautiful journey across the sounds of music.

Between August 29 and September 4, Elizabeth Sombart and Fabrice Eulry joined hands to offer seven piano concerts that illuminated the hearts and souls of youngsters, adults, elders whether healthy, disabled, sick or recovering.

Fabrice Eulry, international composer and piano artist, offered with tremendous generosity exhilarating jazz and blues rhythms to Oum El Nours recovering addicts, to the youth of Beb el Tebbene and Jabal Mohsen reunited by the initiative of March at Kahwetna Caf in Tripoli; to the community of Khaldieh and its surroundings with a concert organized by the Order of Malta Community Health Center in Khaldieh and finally to the disabled at the Order of Malta Chabrouh camp at the occasion of its 20^th anniversary. Each performance was unique as he deeply connected with the audiences and transported all into the light.

Elizabeth Sombart played the remaining concerts gracefully embarking all on a spiritual voyage.

The sounds of Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven stemming from under our beautiful cedar in the Order of Malta camp in Kfardebian Center healed first our disabled guests. They travelled then to comfort children enduring cancer treatments at the St. Jude Children Cancer Center and reached in the end elders suffering from Alzheimers disease to sooth their minds at Minerva Day Care Center for Alzheimers.

Quoting the President of the Order of Malta Lebanon Love brings people together and it does not discriminate between gender, religion or skin color. We cannot rebuild Lebanon unless we learn to reunite as one beating heart.