POPE CALLS FOR A FREE LEBANON; UNSTATED MESSAGE IS FOR SYRIAN, ISRAELI TROOPS TO MAKE AN EXIT.

Byline: John Donnelly Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Lifting the spirits of Lebanon's Christians, Pope John Paul II called Sunday for the independence of Lebanon and implied that foreign forces must leave its soil.

He didn't specifically mention Syria's 35,000 troops in Lebanon or Israel's 2,000 soldiers occupying southern Lebanon, but there was no doubt about his meaning in a Vatican document on the nation's future, published at the end of his two-day visit.

In an ``apostolic exhortation,'' John Paul referred to several of Lebanon's ``difficulties,'' including the ``menacing occupation of southern Lebanon'' and the ``presence of non-Lebanese armed forces on the territory.''

The 38-page document was signed by the pope over the weekend. Writing about the foreign troops and lack of human rights in Lebanon, the Roman Catholic pontiff said, ``All this feeds passions, as well as the fear, that the values of democracy and civilization which this country represents may be compromised.''

He also urged Christians to remain in Lebanon: ``Obviously, all this supposes that the country recovers its total independence, complete sovereignty and unambiguous freedom.''

In the center of Beirut, close to the battle lines of the 15-year civil war, the pope on Sunday spoke before an estimated 500,000 people and urged them to heal the old wounds.

``I am certain that the sufferings of the past years will not be in vain,'' he said. ``They will strengthen your freedom and unity.''

In his prayers for Lebanon, he said: ``Spirit of God, pour your light and love into human hearts to achieve reconciliation between individuals, within families, between neighbors, in cities and villages, and within the institutions of civil society.''

The message seemed to empower Lebanon's Christian citizens - and its armed forces.

In one instance Sunday, a group of Lebanese soldiers blocked a large group of Syrian workers from going to the pope's speech; when one tried to force his way past them, a Lebanese soldier kicked him - an unheard of act of aggression in the past. In another case, a car carrying Lebanese soldiers allowed a journalist to cross a road and the driver shouted out: ``If you were a Syrian, I would have run you over!''

Such candor has been almost completely absent since Syrian troops poured into Lebanon in 1990 to help stop the fighting and to gain a foothold, and much more.

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PHOTO Lebanese soldiers clear the way for Pope John Paul II as he goes to celebrate Mass in Beirut, Lebanon.

Associated Press