The Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rahi affirmed that "we cannot turn a blind eye to the suffering of our people, nor can we harden our hearts; it is our duty to give them a voice through our own in numerous issues." He pointed out that "we are called to bring our people's concerns to society and to the officials, which are many."
During his Easter message for 2024, delivered from the patriarchal headquarters in Bkerke, he indicated that "the parliament, represented by its president and members, is intentionally depriving the Lebanese state of a president without legal justification, violating the constitution in its preamble declaring Lebanon a parliamentary democratic republic, in the manner of its election in Article 49, and in the parliament's loss of its legislative authority, rendering it merely an electoral body according to Article 75."
Patriarch Rahi emphasized that "unfortunately, there is no authority to restore the parliament's order in accordance with the constitution. Consequently, state institutions are fragmented, and the people are suffering and losing trust in all their rulers," questioning: "Where is the national covenant? And where is the essential Christian element in the formation of the national covenant?"
He focused on the fact that "the education sector continues to resist the economic crisis that has shaken its foundations and bankrupted its institutions, presenting school administrations with two challenges: improving living conditions for teachers and the inability of a large portion of parents to pay what is required of them." He explained that "we witness alarming daily emigration of qualified and experienced teachers abroad and to other professions, which is a dangerous phenomenon that negatively impacts the quality of education in our schools. Therefore, it is essential to pass new legislation that protects the teacher."
