The Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Beshara Boutros Rai urgently called for the election of a new president to pull Lebanon out of its depths at least a month before or at most two months before the current president's term ends. During the Sunday sermon from Diman, he also urged the formation of a new government, emphasizing the need for a unifying government that inspires confidence through its national line and seriousness in addressing outstanding issues.