Maronite Patriarch, Bechara Boutros Rahi, presided this morning over Sunday Mass at the Church of Our Lady in Bkerke, where he touched in his religious sermon on the prevailing situation in the country.

Rahi criticized those who are obstructing the government’s work, saying: “If the government obstructers and those who excel in disrupting the work of constitutional institutions and economic life, causing impoverishment to the people, were true believers in the Lord, they would fear Him and hasten to please Him by securing the welfare of the entire people, and by strengthening and revitalizing public institutions.”

Unfortunately, the Patriarch regretted that the exact opposite is taking place, “especially when all internal and external mediations have failed, and the burden of obstruction and impoverishment of citizens prevails.”

"The true believer, of any religion, elevates his mind and heart through prayers to the Lord Almighty and through drawing inspiration from His light, so that his actions would be a glorification of God. If officials in the world and peoples strove to enlighten their hearts by praying to God, they would have worked hard to strengthen brotherhood and establish peace,” Rahi said, seizing the occasion to congratulate the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, on escaping the assassination attempt against his life, adding, “We wish our dear Iraq and its people stability and security.”

“By obstructing the Cabinet, the work of the impartial and courageous judiciary is disrupted, and this calls for great concern,” he cautioned, criticizing the imbalance witnessed at the judicial level. “Amidst the legal transgressions taking place, we wonder whether some judges have become at the disposal and command of some officials, parties and sects?” Rahi questioned, emphasizing the need to have an independent judiciary and to allow investigations to take their course into the Beirut port blast and the Tayouneh events, maintaining impartiality and fairness towards all.

Referring to the parliamentary elections, the Patriarch reiterated the importance of holding the elections on time. “Once again, we stress the need for the parliamentary elections to take place at their constitutional date so that the people can express their opinion on the fate of their homeland. Elections are not a routine event, but rather a date with the change aspired for by the people. It is a right and a duty in our democratic system,” Rahi underscored. He also expressed keenness to ensure that they take place under the supervision of the United Nations to guarantee the right to candidacy, the security of candidates, the integrity of the elections, and the control of financial spending. “In this context, the candidates should be elite figures qualified for legislative, political and national work. The political life in our country lacks promising elites, and this is a major deficiency in our democratic and national life,” regretted Rahi.

After the Mass service, the Patriarch met with a delegation of the families of those arrested in the Ain el-Remmaneh incidents, accompanied by MP Pierre Bou Assi who spoke on their behalf, saying that their visit is to strive, with the Patriarch’s help, to achieve justice for the detainees and their families who have been unable to see their children for weeks, and whose children were even unable to defend themselves.

“Dozens and hundreds attacked Ain el-Remmaneh, but we do not know their whereabouts… What we know is that we still have 12 of our sons who are still under arrest, and 33 arrest warrants have been issued against others in absentia, and this is not acceptable,” Bou Assi asserted.

The MP said that the delegation counts on the Patriarch as he is a symbol of justice and truth, and hopes that His Beatitude will not for allow any political pressures so that justice will take its course, and the young detained will return to their families as soon as possible.