Patriarch Mar Bechara Raï presided over a festive mass at the altar of the Church of Jesus the King in Zouk Mosbeh, marking the consecration of the church after its renovation and the lighting of the statue erected by Father Jacob the Capuchin during his monastic life. The event was organized by the Superior of the "Sisters of the Cross" congregation, Mother Marie Makhlouf, along with the council of administrators, at the House of Jesus the King in Zouk Mosbeh. Attendees included the representative of the Speaker of Parliament MP Fred Heikal Khazen, the representative of the Prime Minister, Minister of Justice Henry Khoury, former President Amin Gemayel and his wife, MPs Naim Efram and Ziad Hawat, Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, acting Director General of General Security Major General Elias Bassil, President of the Maronite League Ambassador Khalil Karam, and Apostolic Nuncio Monsignor Paolo Borgia.
After the holy gospel, Patriarch Raï delivered a sermon in which he stated: "We salute all the initiators and benefactors who support these institutions. It is known that these institutions compensate for the state and alleviate its burdens. However, it is regrettable that civil authorities neglect these institutions and withhold their rightful financial entitlements for one, two, three, and four years without any sense of responsibility, while they waste treasury funds through theft, looting, smuggling, and squandering. To persist in this state, officials with their influence are obstructing the election of a President of the Republic who would place the country on the right track. They hide behind dialogue and consensus, while there is one constitutional solution: to enter the parliamentary hall and conduct presidential elections among the known candidates. The final word would be in the voting according to Article 49 of the Constitution. This would put an end to the farce that has distorted Lebanon's democratic parliamentary face."
Mother Marie Makhlouf, the Superior of the "Sisters of the Cross," also spoke, presenting the history of this congregation founded by Father Jacob the Capuchin in his lifetime and its role since its inception in serving those in need.
