Following President Donald Trump’s vicious attacks on Pope Leo XIV for refusing to back his “atrocious” war in Iran, the United States and Israel have finally achieved a 10-day ceasefire after holding talks with Lebanon. The negotiations came after Israel blatantly violated the Pakistani-brokered ceasefire between the United States and Iran, killing innocent women and children. However, while negotiators and mainstream media alike will focus on Hezbollah, it is important to recognize that other groups have resisted Israeli imperialism. One of these groups is the Amal Movement, influenced, in part, by the Catholic Bishop Grégoire Haddad.
The Amal Movement is a secular political party and militia that has existed since 1974. Its precursor organization, the Movement of the Deprived, was established by Haddad and Amal’s eventual first leader, Musa al-Sadr. Composed mainly of Shia Muslims, Amal has had a long and complicated relationship with different powers in the Middle East. Its current leader is Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, who has led the movement since 1980. Following Berri’s election as leader, some members defected and formed Islamic Amal, which eventually became Hezbollah. While Amal has historically clashed with Hezbollah, the Palestine Liberation Organization, and other groups opposed to Israel, it has often opposed Israeli imperialism.
In the 21st century, Amal has coordinated with Hezbollah to defend Lebanese land from Israeli incursions. During the 2006 Lebanon War, Amal fighters were involved in “every major battle.” In more recent years, Amal launched strikes on Israeli barracks during the 2023 border clashes and fought against Israeli imperialists during the 2024 invasion. Since the outbreak of the 2026 Lebanon War, Amal has not just engaged in military operations, but has also played a humanitarian role in the conflict. According to reporting from Drop Site News, Israel has slaughtered members of the Amal-affiliated Islamic Risala Scout Association, a medical and rescue organization in a triple tap strike. With the Pope expressing spiritual solidarity with the Christians affected by the Israeli war in Lebanon, it is now important to remember the life and teachings of Bishop Grégoire Haddad.
In 1924, Haddad was born to a Protestant father and a Melkite Greek Catholic mother in Lebanon. Ordained in 1949, he rose through the hierarchy of the Church and was appointed Bishop of Beirut and Jbeil in 1968. Known as “the Red Bishop” and “the Bishop of the Poor,” Haddad was controversial for supporting secular government and inter-faith dialogue. During various bouts of violence between Catholics, Muslims, and Druze, Haddad negotiated for the release of civilians. He even provided humanitarian support for Palestinian refugees and worked with Shia communities, both very controversial acts in a deeply sectarian country.
Haddad believed that Lebanon needed to remain united in order to foster peace and strengthen national sovereignty. To achieve this, he advocated for secularism at the government level and denounced religious sectarianism and extremism. A proponent of liberation theology, he called on the Church to take care of the poor and vulnerable. In order to resist foreign interference and take care of the poor, Haddad believed in Muslim-Christian cooperation. Indeed, Haddad’s state secularism was not a rejection of religion. Instead, Haddad viewed secular governance as a way to unite all Lebanese citizens in support of the state and against forces that endangered the unique cultures and faith traditions of Lebanon.
Haddad’s philosophical and political thinking parallels the Amal Movement. Most obvious is Amal’s commitment to the state secularism outlined by Haddad, which has allowed the movement to gain institutional power in the Lebanese state while maintaining its commitment to national sovereignty. Additionally, Haddad’s emphasis on protecting the vulnerable can be seen in Amal’s aforementioned Islamic Risala Scout Association. Volunteers with the association are currently risking their lives to provide much-needed medical and rescue services in the midst of Israel’s ongoing war against the people of Lebanon. In these ways, Haddad’s thinking continues to make an impact on the world even a decade after his death.
As the pro-Israel crowd continues to attack Pope Leo XIV, Catholics in the West, especially those in positions of power, would be wise to emulate Bishop Haddad instead of the Israeli government responsible for Operation Eternal Darkness, the codename of Israel’s coordinated April 8th strikes on Lebanon. His Holiness has been clear: “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth… It is a world turned upside down, an exploitation of God’s creation that must be denounced and rejected by every honest conscience.”
J.D. Hester is an independent writer born and raised in Arizona. He has previously written for Antiwar.com, Asia Times, AF Post, and other outlets. You can send him an email at josephdhester@gmail.com. Follow him on X (@JDH3ster).
