Al-Rahi Meets Raffarin, Says God would Hold Accountable Oppressors

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said in his Sunday sermon that officials should be aware that God would hold them accountable if they were derelict in their duties and oppressed the people.

After celebrating mass in Bkirki, al-Rahi met with the visiting French deputy Senate leader, Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

He later threw a lunch banquet in his honor.

Ahead of the mass, the patriarch told a visiting delegation that “Lebanon is suffering from a lot of new illnesses that we should confront.”

“There should be freedom of expression and freedom of opinion in a democratic world,” he said.

Al-Rahi also called for diversity of views, parties and expectations.