Patriarch Maronite Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi presided over the Divine Liturgy on the occasion of Saint Sharbel's day at the outdoor church of the ancient Monastery of Mar Houshabb in Bqaa Kafra. In his sermon, Al-Rahi stated that "Lebanon and its society need Christians shining in the world of politics and justice." He said, "If political leaders do not shine with spiritual and moral values, public life in Lebanon will not improve, and therefore, they will not be able to elect a president for the republic nor restore life to constitutional institutions, and they will not care about our oppressed, impoverished people."