One year after the Beirut explosion caused over $15 billion in damage, Pope Francis issued an appeal for “the beloved country of Lebanon.”

The Pope asked “the international community to offer Lebanon concrete assistance, not only with words but with concrete actions in undertaking a journey of ‘resurrection’. It is my hope that the current international conference hosted by France with the support of the United Nations will prove productive in this regard.”

“Dear Lebanese friends,” the Pope added, “I greatly desire to visit you, and I continue to pray for you, so that Lebanon will once more be a message of peace and fraternity for the entire Middle East.”