The Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi warned against circumventing the parliamentary election process, calling on those who strive to invent excuses to postpone it to direct their efforts towards providing the best possible conditions for its conduct and asserting that Lebanon cannot remain in a stateless condition. He indirectly responded to critics of the Lebanese Foreign Ministry's position, which condemned the Russian war, specifically Hezbollah, stating: "Sympathy, solidarity, and mediation without political and military entanglement are at the heart of the values of positive and active neutrality."
In his Sunday sermon, al-Rahi said, "We strive with those of goodwill to ensure that parliamentary elections take place on schedule so that the voice returns to the people. It is enough for the people to speak the truth in their choices and to renew the political class, so that they do not miss the opportunity for change. This is the time to save Lebanon, not the time for petty calculations."
He emphasized that "it is not permissible, under any pretext, to circumvent this constitutional entitlement that is intrinsic to the democratic system. Those who strive to fabricate excuses for postponing the elections should redirect their efforts towards creating the best possible conditions for them. We hope that those who deserve to represent the citizens, who possess a notable personality, reformist thinking, a good reputation, and national positions, will run for the parliamentary elections. All technical programs remain secondary to the national program."
He added, "The people want brave deputies, armed with morals, confident in themselves, independent in their decisions, resolute in rejecting what they must reject, and decisive in accepting what they must accept. The people want deputies who understand legislation and accountability, capable of bearing responsibility and confronting deviations in all their forms. The more deputies face issues in parliament, the less the people will need to resort to the streets."
Al-Rahi spoke about the Ukrainian war, asking, "By what authority do warlords command it from their thrones while being safe from its calamities?" He added: "We are pained by the ongoing war on the territory of the independent state of Ukraine. We pray that the war stops for the sake of the innocent, to put an end to the destruction, killing, and displacement, and to cool anger and hatred. We call for both parties to sit down to resolve their dispute peacefully. While we condemn what is happening in Ukraine, we affirm the concept of neutrality, particularly its humanitarian aspect. The neutrality we advocate is not devoid of heart, feeling, or empathy, nor is it against human rights and the rights of peoples to determine their destiny, nor against international laws."
After Hezbollah criticized the silence of "those calling for neutrality" regarding Lebanon's stance on the Russian war, al-Rahi stated: "Sympathy, solidarity, and mediation without political and military entanglement are fundamental to the values of positive and active neutrality."
He noted that all neutral countries around the world have hastened to take a supportive stance for the independence of Ukraine and the freedom of its people. While we have strengthened our relations with Russia, we had previously condemned all wars waged against the peoples of the Middle East that violated international borders, and we expressed sympathy for all suffering and oppressed peoples in the region and the world, regardless of their political affiliations and the systems of their countries.
