Al-Rahi Says Christians Should Play Active Role in Resolving Political-Confessional Conflict
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi said Sunday that Lebanon's Christians should not be bystanders in the sectarian war, rather they should make an initiative to resolve it.
The Christians “cannot and do not have the right to be bystanders in the ongoing political-confessional conflict,” al-Rahi said in his sermon during mass in Bkirki.
On the contrary, they should initiate to resolve the conflict by finding ways to form a new government and reaching an agreement on a new electoral draft-law that is fair to all of the country's factions.
They should also work for holding the parliamentary elections as soon as possible and do all they can to elect a new president next year, al-Rahi said.
The patriarch rejected turning Lebanon into a “commodity” in the hands of local and foreign parties. He also refused to make a country a captive in the hands of warring parties.
Al-Rahi called for mutual respect in a civilian state capable of keeping security and stability and providing equality to all.
He slammed what he called the “mentality of fiefdoms,” the resort to consensual security, and the proliferation of illegitimate weapons.
The patriarch regretted the loos of innocent lives due to the political-sectarian chaos in the country and mainly in the northern city of Tripoli.
“Let the officials who are paralyzing the constitutional institutions know that they are responsible for all these crimes,” he said.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/104198 |