Maronite Patriarch Bechara Raï affirmed that Lebanon must continue to maintain its beauty and that no one should distort its face. He said, "We must restore Lebanon's beautiful nature; a distorted Lebanon is not Lebanon, and a Lebanon that has lost its charm is not Lebanon. We will not accept such a Lebanon."
During the opening of the annual festival in his hometown of Hamalaya, Raï noted that "the difficult economic, financial, and living conditions in Lebanon will come to an end, because everything has an end, and we will continue to repeat our act of faith that says, 'Oh my eyes, Lebanon.'"
