Commemoration of August 4th

Five years have passed since the tragedy of August 4, 2020, and Hôtel-Dieu de France has once again reaffirmed its commitment to the memory of this painful tragedy by holding a moment of reflection and silence in tribute to the victims and in solidarity with their families.

A prayer was held at 3:00 PM in front of the hospital’s Emergency Department, a silent witness to the first moments of the catastrophe.

The commemoration featured a speech by the Chairman of the Board of Hôtel-Dieu de France and Rector of Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Professor Salim Daccache s.j., in the presence of the hospital’s medical, nursing, and administrative teams.

“Dear members of the medical, nursing, caregiving, administrative, and logistics staff of Hôtel-Dieu de France–Saint Joseph University,

Dear people of Beirut, city of scars and grace,
You who still hold onto the belief that light will outshine the shadows, and that truth will one day triumph over silence.

Today, we come together in the face of sorrow, in memory of the souls taken too soon on that tragic evening of August 4, 2020.

We are standing not only before the Emergency Department of this hospital, but also before the deep wound of a nation, before Beirut’s unending cry, before mothers seeking answers, and before children who grew up with the painful memory of fathers torn away in a moment of betrayal.

We gather today carrying a silence filled with prayer, a grief burdened with anger, and an unshakable faith in divine justice, human justice, and the justice of our homeland—Lebanon.

This explosion was neither fate nor a natural disaster. It was the result of chronic corruption, criminal negligence, hidden complicity in the halls of power, and an irresponsible silence that suffocated truth as it suffocated lives.

From here from this very place that received hundreds of wounded and victims—we raise a cry in the name of conscience:
Enough postponements of justice, enough manipulation of the investigation, enough suppression of the truth.

Five years have gone by, and no one has taken responsibility for this heinous crime.

Where is the truth? Where is the courage to judge those who caused this tragedy or stayed silent in the face of danger?

Today, we demand the immediate and full release of the judicial investigation.

We are in a new era, with a new president and a new government.

We call for complete transparency, free from political interference or sectarian pressure.

We demand a fair trial and rightful legal compensation for the families of the martyrs—not scattered donations, but rights granted with dignity, in recognition of those who paid with their lives for the State’s silence.

Beirut is not asking for pity Beirut is asking for justice.

And there will be no resurrection for Lebanon unless justice becomes the foundation of its rebuilding.

We want a country where crime is not rewarded with silence, where tragedy is not reduced to a passing commemoration.

We will not surrender our hearts to despair. We are children of faith, hope, and resurrection resurrection that comes after death, pain, and the cross.

Beirut, city of saints and martyrs, city of divine calling, will not die.
It will rise again, stronger than ever.

We still believe that every human being deserves life, dignity, and truth.

I bow in respect we bow in respect to the souls of the 262 martyrs of August 4, and I send my love and prayers to the wounded and their families.

I renew to them this promise:
We will never forget, and we will not give up until the truth is revealed and justice is delivered to its rightful heirs.

Let us come together in this pain, and turn it into a lasting commitment, into a noble messagefor Beirut and for Lebanon.”