Al-Rahi Says his Paris Statements Don’t Reflect his Personal Stances

...well... then please be kind to enlight us on your "personal stances" clearly!

AlRa3y should stop making statements and issue a written document specifying clearly his stances concerning the issues of Syria and Hezbollah.

monseigneur,u opened the jar and u have to close it in a WRITTEN STATEMENT.

The picture is getting clearer and it appears that he is reflecting Vatican's stance regarding the current developments in Syria and the neighborhood.
The Vatican fears of a similar fate to Christians in the region to that of Iraq. They were not happy of the mass exodus of Christians from Iraq and would not want a similar scenario in Syria or even in Lebanon.
The damage in Iraq was mostly done by sunni fundamentalists.

So Al-Rahi is simply conveying Vatican's message. It's not targeted to Lebanon's March 14 and nor to March 8 camps.

Is this why Patriarch Sfeir was replaced by Al-Rahi? Only history would be able to answer that.

With all due respect, why don't religious dignitaries stick to praying for us, and refrain from meddling into politics. A puppet government and 128 stooges are already more than enough.

patriarch should not yield to pressure of domestic traitors, foreign secret services and similar lowlifes. his statements are glorious, just like the resistance he supports.

Al Rahi should focus on his sheep and their religious needs and evolution and stop meddling in politics, and so is the rest of the "religious" chiefs.

Media's fault? bad intentions? out of context? as per Mr ghalayini suggestion. NOW is the time for a written STATEMENT . Unless next next monthly meeting of bishops meets the clarification request.
Good side of this episode is that most M14 groups responded with clear, coordinated and very well thought principles ( especially Carlos Edde & Samir Geagea).

My fellow Shiite bro Sanctify Yourself good analysis except ..
- The Vatican is very worried for the future of the Christians especially after the Iranian officials declarations that " we are witnessing the birth of the Islamic Middle East " . Everyone knows that's why the Iranians created Hezbollah . The Vatican directed his beatitude Patriarch Rai to take back everything he'd said in Paris .
- The Pope called for " real reforms " and the " end of violence " in Syria addressing Assad who lied for ten years about reforming .
- Most the Sunni fundamentalist in Iraq were sent over through the Syrian border , President Assad was proud of it . Their the purpose was to create chaos and killing Christians on , what SHN called , Muslim land is just a happy bonus for the Syrian regime like it used to be in Lebanon .
- Patriarch Sfeir resigned according to the Maronite Patriarchate , the Vatican and the Pope but we all know , unlike the Ayatollahs and SHN they always lie .

What creates 'extremism' is when a bunch of barbarians who represent 7% of the population rule a country who's majority belong to a different faith and massacre them on a daily basis (not to mention during Ramadan, the holiest month for Muslims).

@ Sanctify yourself: Please enlighten us and show us one major incident in the history of Syria where any minority was targeted because of their beliefs. We are not Iraq and even if you're going to use that as an example, I would do some serious research to see who was behind all the church bombings and the targeting of Christians. I invite you to the read the book "Mossad" to see by their own account how the Israelis went around in the 1940's to different Arab cities and targeted synagogues on purpose to encourage the immigration of Jews to occupied Palestine.

The Levant belongs to all faiths and races and we don't need the Vatican or Ra3i for that matter to decide whether Bashar should be given a chance or not.

The evil zionist just like the radical Islam both have played well to destroy the region for decades. What AlRahi stated is the core of the regional problem.
The South of Lebanon is safer than many places in Jerusalem, London and baltimore, but the Zionist and their allies they dont appreciate the hard work of the Lebanese army and UN forces, they continue to provoke, violate air space and occupy Lebanon including the anti-Lebanese policy world wide. Who ever is talking against the reality of politics is a zionist illusionist and a radical muslom. AlRahi is my priest, my Sheik and Rabai God bless him.

The Batrak's real stance is that he uttered behind closed doors in Paris and later to the press. Now, he is trying to back peddle to quieten the storm internally. It is too late coz you can't take back the words..... He might live to regret those unwise statements.

Too bad Monseigneur Rahi, although i know from well connected sources that met Rahi a long time ago before his title of patriarch that he was always an honest man and loving Lebanon as a whole and specially protecting christians interests and affiliated mostly with the Phalanges, lebanese christians do not need protection from anyone, and specially not those of Lebanon, we have lived for centuries alone , outnumbered, and survived, during crusades, or the Ottoman empire, as well as the Persian one and the Arab one, as for the syrian christians, if they are so scared , come live in Lebanon you are welcome, or fight for your rights, but we will never forget in Lebanon how you stood idle in front of Hafez el Assad and supporting his regime, bombing Ashrafieh, Ain el Rummaneh , Saifi, Zahlé during the war, where were you to voice rejections on the bombing of your christian brothers? in other terms we can offer you sanctuary although we shouldnt even care about you.

@ sanctify urself
very interesting analysis,and very realistic SO
vatican is like saudi arabia and wahabies for the sunnis of the orient,and like iran TO the shia of the orient..
u are confirming in my covictions that monseigneur sfeir, was the batrak of the orient religiously but MAJD LOUBNAN AND BILAD EL ARZ AWALAN IN HIS HEART.

The Party and the party are both over. Decent Lbanese, REJOICE. Sorry, losers. Sorry Hariri's Christian Sunnis. You have nothing left but lament the bad old days of Sfeir.

I think that maronites are going through their worst political crisis; between a crazy most popular leader and a criminal second popular leader and a schizophrenic patriarch I don't know what their hope for the future is

Guys get a life with your allies, wars, and crazy comments, Shia, Sunni, Jews and Christians are there for ever, no one will win a war, so get a life and sit on the table to improve the life of poor people including the trash hill in the south, every day it is getting biger and higher than the urban line.
This war is over power, who is going to control who? People of the same God and the sons of Abraham, wake up and get a life, you need change and reform including healthy brain to solve your daily mess.

Religion is the source of all the sufferings in Lebanon

I am a Maronite and want to say SCREW YOU! no room for mistake and yoru statement is horrible.

Judge
USA

Assad might send his thugs to massacre a Christian village, and make believe that the revolutionary did it. This might comfort the idea that he was the one and only protector of the minorities. I pry God that he doesn't do that.

The 2 issues are different.

We would have liked the position on Syria to be more courageous. It reflects worries about the fate of christians in the middle east and rapid changes can be too fast to cope with. I think from the perspective of someone who is responsible for such a community, the Patriarch is in a critical responsibility and he accordingly cannot support a revolution which fate is unclear to him. It is more as "not being able to openly support the syrian revolution" rather than "blindly supporting the syrian regime". There is a difference between these 2 stances.

On Hizbullah issue, the patriarch statement was a description of what Hizbullah would say about his arms. As long as the international community is not exerting enough pressure on Israel they will keep feeding Hizbullah with reasons to keep them and guaranteeing its existence. I would personally have not agreed had the patriarch asked to exert pressure on Hizbullah since this issue is to be solved in Lebanon.

Political corruption and drug lords of south America style system