Archbishop Aoudah: When Will the Parties Control Their Members?

Metropolitan of Beirut and its surroundings for the Orthodox Greeks, Archbishop Elias Aoudah, officiated the Divine Liturgy at Saint George's Cathedral in Beirut. After the Gospel, he delivered a sermon in which he said: "Little innocent Nayia, who was playing in her schoolyard, lost her life because a person devoid of responsibility and morals decided to fire a gun either in joy or anger or sadness. Is this how a person expresses their joy or sorrow or anger? Does the death of an innocent person satisfy one's thirst for revenge and ease their suffering? Firing guns during celebrations or whenever someone wants to express a feeling is a rejected and condemned act, and the relevant authorities must take necessary measures to prevent this phenomenon and punish anyone who engages in it. Nayia is a victim of crime and irresponsibility. She is not the first or the only victim. Many innocents have been harmed, some of whom have died. When will Lebanese people stop using weapons indiscriminately? When will the parties control their members? When will the security agencies fully play their role? When will the judiciary tighten its grip on anyone who dares to take the lives of innocents lightly? Where is the law and the authority of the judiciary? Where is the state amid this chaos? Where is justice in this rampant disorder? This is a moral decay that belittles everything, even life. It is a gratuitous violence that benefits no one and leads to regression." He concluded: "Our call today is to return to ourselves and be honest with ourselves, faithful to our Creator, not to contribute to the crucifixion of Christ again, but to live the joy of resurrection and salvation."