Lebanon Prays for Peace in Syria, Calls for Saving Maalula
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Churches in Lebanon held prayers on Saturday night for peace in Syria and against any armed intervention in the country, in a response to Pope Francis' calls.
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi led prayers at Our Lady of Lebanon basilica in Harissa, the state-run National News Agency said.
"This is a day for prayers and we ask the Lord through Lady Mary for peace,” al-Rahi said at the prayer vigil.
The head of the church tackled the political and security situation in Lebanon during the mass, warning of the spread of weapons and autonomous security.
"Because of the political fragmentation in Lebanon, the constitutional institutions are stumbling,” he expressed.
"This tiny country has received over one million and a half of Syrian refugees escaping the turmoil and the killings in their country, and Lebanon is bearing the cost on the security, social and economic levels.”
Al-Rahi also called for forming a capable cabinet, urging political factions to reach out to each others, and put the interests of the state's institutions “above all considerations.”
Earlier in the day, following a meeting under al-Rahi, bishops had called for resolving the Syrian crisis through dialogue and peaceful diplomatic means.
Prayers were also held in the Bekaa, as Zahle and Bekaa Greek Catholic Archbishop Issam Darwish urged the world to save the famed Christian town of Maalula in Syria.
"Save Maalula, save heritage, history and religious coexistence,” he urged during a mass in Zahle.
Darwish added: “We particularly pray today for the residents of Maalula as this town was attacked by gunmen yesterday and today and a human massacre took place there. Churches and monasteries have been destroyed, 80% of the village's residents have fled, and several young men were abducted.”
"In front of evil, we can only pray for the world to hear the voice of consciousness. We pray for the evil hands to stop and for peace to be restored in Syria and the East.”
Maalula is an ancient town that symbolizes the Christian presence in Syria and where residents speak Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus Christ used by few communities around the world.
The town north of Damascus had been spared from the violence that has rocked Syria since March 2011, until Wednesday when violence broke out there for the first time since the conflict erupted.
Meanwhile, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East Youhanna X al-Yaziji arrived in Beirut on Saturday, coming from Amman where he met with Jordanian King Abdullah.
“We hail Pope Francis' calls for prayers for peace in Syria,” al-Yaziji told reporters upon his arrival at Rafik Hariri International Airport. “This is what everyone's hoping for.”
Regarding Maalula, the patriarch said he contacted the monastery in the town.
"We were informed that limited clashes took place there, and no attacks happened,” he revealed.
"We urge the international community to reject any attacks that might target Christians there.”
Al-Yaziji said he has no new information regarding the whereabouts of the kidnapped bishops, Yohanna Ibrahim and Boulos Yaziji.
"We have asked King Abdullah for help in this respect and he expressed his readiness.”
Muslim clerics also backed the pope's call for a day of fasting and prayer.
The vice president of the Higher Shiite Council, Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan said: "Islam calls consistently for peace and harmony, and we consistently condemn killings, terrorism and foreign interference.”
Pope Francis has ratcheted up his call for peace in Syria amid the threatened U.S.-led military strikes following the alleged Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus.
But he has also been careful not to lay blame on any one side, exhorting world leaders instead to focus on the plight of Syrian civilians and the need to end the violence.
Francis -- who led a mass vigil at the Vatican on Saturday -- has called for a "cry for peace" from humanity, firmly opposing all fighting including the military strikes against the Syrian regime being pushed by the United States and France.
07 September 2013, 13:36
129
Religious leaders all talk about Peace as a theoretical thing. But when one's has to take real steps for Peace, no one does. The Sheikh should state that a Christian man has the right to marry a Muslim woman. The Christians should state the same, even if they are already more open-minded on that subject. Then they should state that Lebanon should seek peace with its neighbors, and consider Syrians as equal human beings. The same applies with Israelis, which should be declared as brothers of the Lebanese as human beings, but also as Hebrews and holders of the Old Scriptures. Of course none of all this will happen, religious leader have nothing spiritual, they are cynical political leaders, without courage and vision like Jesus had.
07 September 2013, 16:05
138
J'applaudi ton discours. Je partage la même vision. If people don't mix and stop relying and their 'communities' no everlasting peace can be achieved. This applies to the entire world.....
Communautarism is the enemy of peace.
07 September 2013, 20:32
114
ykatter 5eyrak 7abibi. Il y a encore des gens sur qui espérer dans ce pays!
07 September 2013, 22:59
115
The problem Taco Bell is that people from all religions in Lebanon are substituting themselves to God. They think they were given the right to judge others. Look at this couple that got married in a civil way a few months ago. Qabbani or whoever it was said they'd not be allowed to be buried in a Muslim cemetery next to their loved ones. Perhaps the State should start considering opening cemeteries where all sects can be represented.... Just a thought. The State shouldn't listen to the religious leaders but to the will of the people who pay them and elect them.
This is just one example.
07 September 2013, 16:08
00
Israelis are not hebrews, they are converts to judaism and have nothing to do with the ancient hebrews nor are they our brothers in any way, they are satans workers helping him in spreading misschief on earth. As for interfaith marriage, its wrong and will only lead to confused children so neither the sheikh nor the priest should encourage it. If someone wants to convert then that is a diffirent thing but having interfaith marriage only causes unecassary problems for the couple and their children. How much fun is it for the won or the daughter to think one of his parents will end up in hell? After all, islam states that christians who do not convert to islam will end up in hell and christianity states that those who dont convert to christianity will end up in hell. Be logical, there is no peace in such a marriage. Religious leaders do more good than you who want your religion to be something its not.
07 September 2013, 21:51
105
this is the true spirit that should prevail if ever peace is to be achieved.
however, religion is being exacerbated s that people can be brainwashed in the name of religion to do the worst things to others.
how wrong is it to think that ones identity is defined by his religion and not by his deeds?
07 September 2013, 14:51
613
How about muslims praying for the tortured Christians of Maaloula in syria who still speak our mother tongue in Lebanon Aramaic., we pray you hate.
Partition please.
07 September 2013, 23:45
010
@Southern
It saddens me to say that comments like yours is precisely what we do not need in our beloved Lebanon. Who are you to pass judgement on Lebanese is a traitor and which is a patriot?
The Lebanese want, and deserve, a nation where free speech is the norm without fear of being labeled this or that. You are free to believe as you wish but that freedom stops when you infringe on the freedom of others.
Tolerance is what the Lebanese need, even crave, if Lebanon is to continue as a model of mixed religious existence.
07 September 2013, 15:26
00
Southern: for heavens sake take a breather man, when Patriarch Al-Rahi calls his fold to prayer, that means the LF and the Kataeb, why didn't you mention Aoun. Even when their is a call for peace you seem to find doors to criticise and attack. Remember when you pray, pray for peace, don't pray for Assad and HA to be victories.
07 September 2013, 16:57
312
@ exlebanese
Surah tubah verse 51 you lying prick
Partirion please.
07 September 2013, 19:03
00
Well when all is said and done(Thx,will again be given to US/AEF)as Assad Would Clean The Streets Of Your Persons every year and Terrorize All Beruit For the past 30years while using PalistineCivilans for Slave Labor for over 30years(Thx Israel,Your Still not Getting Your Narco Subs Back or Ariel T.Transports or Palestine.) it's about time ALL Show Their True Selfs,Lord Knows we Will And Have (IE:Libya/Win,Iran/Winning,Afghanistan/Win,S.America/Winning,Africa/Win,S. and N.Korea/Winning,USSR/Win.China/Winning.)Your Welcome Now I Get Ti Meet My Kids For The Dirst Time In 21 years,Due To F-Ups/NarcoDealers/Kiddnapers/Dictators/And AssHole 'Powers That Wanted To Be',Your Welcome USA AEF 596 A1 Fd/06 PS:Im under 22k/KIA'Allied' 1986-2014 w/all the Nuke and Chem Babblers threats over My 20+year Job Being A Good-Guy,Thx Mesa Mike(Allied US Coast Gaurd/S.America 1990's.) 'No More DOMS' you F'en dressed up girlies!!! Love Christo and Karow.
07 September 2013, 20:07
103
Though without doubt I am all for peace in Syria and everything, but! I think this is utterly perverse! Where were all these faithful to pray and urge Baschar to quit massacring his people? Only now that the U.S. threatens to intervene do they pray? Seems like America is the Church's biggest friend, since so many "faithful" are attending now.
07 September 2013, 20:36
116
Here we go: religion mixed with identity and politics is the eviliest poison man have. I am muslim, believer and quite religious. But I say that sheikh or clerics should not have a single word about the destiny of a country. And there should be civil marriage and people should stop to refer as their sect or "religion": most of the purported "christians" and "muslims" in Lebanon are just christians or muslims by name, but just hypocrites in their behaviour which has nothing pious.
07 September 2013, 22:37
103
It's been going on for 30 months--the family that could have brought peace bombs people in bread lines and gasses its own people. Maybe these prayers should have come 29 months ago.
I wish for peace for the syrian people, but not with the baath party and the ASSad's in charge. Since 1973, that family has meddled in lebanon killing thousands and making thousands of others 'disappear'. I wish to see them in the Hague facing charges.
07 September 2013, 22:44
102
Isn't that weird that precisely when the strikes are going to happen , we have prayers for peace......I mean the massacres of innocent people has been going on for 2 years and here and there rahi speaks a little but this TIME he pulled out the canon I should say...soon he will excommunicate Obama if he could.... weird.....
08 September 2013, 05:34
10
Iraq under Baath had a flourishing Christian community. USA came, the only loser was the Christians. Egypt had a flourishing Christian community, the 2011 revolution came, the Christian were the ones who lost the most. Syrian Christian flourished for 50 years under Baath, rebel came, Syria lost its Christian. Can you put dots together here? Funny the USA is the one supported the Muslim brotherhood Egypt and Syria rebels
08 September 2013, 06:03
01
are you an idiot or just speaking like one? do you really think that the USA goes to war just to defeat christians? or that they calculate that the war will end up with christian loss? Why don't you argue that most of iraq and syria and lebanon were christians BEFORE the PROPHET came in 600 BC and after the fatah ? Does that NOT bother you? all right man I am a christian and lived all that fucked up war in lebanon and the only reason there are christians there is because of the eastern area militias...and so if the christians in other countries are threatened , the only way to defend themselves to get armed , trained and organized...do u know in 1972-3 president frangie foresaw what was gonna happen in lebanon and asked pierre gemayel and the kataebs to arm themselves....
10 September 2013, 10:43
00
"If Frangieh foresaw what was going to happen in Lebanon" “I like that”!!! If he knew then why he allowed the Palestinian to carry weapons in country that had it is sovereignty. If Lebanese government did not arm the Palestinian in Lebanon, we would not have a war against the Palestinians. Unfortunately, every politician then has committed treason by allowing another entity to carry weapons that exceeded the power of the Lebanese Army!!! Lebanese government failed to protect its own people and that called treason. However, who cares anyway in a country that no one cares about anything!!! And continuously people would pay the price until a rogue state is over!!!
History has witnessed that!!!
11 September 2013, 02:32
00
It doesn't matter what group or individual it is - political or religious - its a good thing to speak, gather, pray for peace. If there's no counterbalance to those proclaiming war - then how will it be stopped? "Evil exists only because good people allow it" - those of us wanting peace and joyful living need to speak up no matter who you are. A new religion needs to be created called PFH Doctrine (Peace Freedom Happiness)
