The executive committee of the Maronite General Council, led by Engineer Michel Matta, condemned in a statement the remarks made by journalist Ibrahim Al-Amin, which targeted the Maronite Church and the status of Bkerke and its history. The council considered these remarks to be serious and inflammatory, warning that if they were to spread, they could ignite the flames of sectarian conflict and deepen the divisions and disagreements that, at every critical juncture and crisis, His Beatitude Patriarch Bechara Rai has tirelessly attempted to resolve by offering initiative after initiative to calm tensions and unify the nation.
The council expressed astonishment at how a segment of the Lebanese population insists on opposing His Beatitude Patriarch Bechara Rai despite knowing that he is working for the reunification of Lebanon, the unity of the country, the prosperity of the state, and the support of the military and security institutions, while promoting dialogue, democracy, and coexistence.
The statement added: The role of Bkerke and the Maronite Church in elevating Lebanon’s status and preserving its uniqueness is a universal message in service to humanity, pure as the snow on the mountains and steadfast as the cedars. What concerns Bkerke today is not only the restoration of Lebanon's identity and truth but also the need to combine efforts to save its people and economy, and for the state to return as one, inclusive, and sovereign in its decisions.
