BEIRUT: The absence of a president exacerbates Lebanon's already tense situation, Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai said Sunday, reiterating calls for Christians to stay in Lebanon and urging Christian leaders not to lose their "biblical values."
“Lebanon is passing through a very critical phase threatening its foundations,” Rai said during the Sunday mass at Bkirki’s Cathedral, stressing that the absence of a president and the “ongoing violation of the constitution, the national pact, the customs and traditions” were worsening the situation.
Lebanon has been without president since May 25 when former President Michel Sleiman left at the end of his term.
“I tell the Christians in Lebanon that their role today, more than any past day, is to commit to preserving Lebanon, its essence, people and institutions, as well as its culture and symbolism inside the Arab and Islamic world,” the patriarch added.
He addressed Christian political leaders in Lebanon, reminding them of the need to apply "biblical values" and the recommendations of late Pope Jean Paul II in their political behavior.
“They should remember that Lebanon owes its uniqueness and its particularity, which distinguish it from other Arab countries, to the Christians in particular,” Rai said.
The mass was attended by former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon and the accompanying delegation, as well as the French Ambassador to Lebaon Patrice Paoli and Lebanon's Ambassador to UNESCO Simon Karam.
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