Suleiman Hails al-Rahi's 'Efforts to Preserve Free Christian Presence'
President Michel Suleiman on Tuesday lauded “the efforts exerted by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to preserve the free Christian presence in the Levant as a message of culture, interaction and dialogue that has characterized this region throughout the ages,” stressing the importance of “his support for democracy away from unilateralism, violence and extremism.”
Following talks with Patriarchal Vicar General Roland Abu Jaoude and a group of bishops, Suleiman said: “We support what the patriarch is doing at the level of the church and its renewal and concerning his keenness on minorities in general and especially the Christian minority.”
Al-Rahi is creating “a bridge for democracy and convergence between the Orient and the West, for the sake of humanity and peace between the peoples,” the president added.
The patriarch on Tuesday condemned the violence in Syria “whether it was carried out by the regime or the people or armed men.”
Christianity rejects murder, he stressed.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday slammed al-Rahi’s stances on the Syrian crisis, saying his remarks “put all the Christians in the region in danger.”
“I can’t hide the fact that his statements had infuriated me, as they support the regime and contradict with our entire history and I cannot be proud of this rhetoric,” Geagea said in an interview on MTV.
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