The Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi led a mass for the intention of France at the Patriarchal Cathedral and delivered a sermon titled "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." He stated, "It is the day of the resurrection of Christ, triumphant over evil and death, the two greatest enemies that he wished to save all humanity from. The significance of Easter Monday is that it inaugurates a liturgical period of glory until the Feast of Pentecost, and a phase until his ascension to heaven to care for his apostles who were shaken by the tragedy of their teacher's crucifixion and death. He appeared to them three times."
He mentioned "the tragedies of wars between Ukraine and Russia, and between Israel and Palestine, with nations supporting from here and there, without any vision for peace, while human casualties increase, destruction widens, and losses are countless. We should not forget the tragedy of Lebanon stemming from external interventions interacting with internal ones that robbed it of its positive active neutrality. Southern Lebanon is an innocent victim in all of this."
He concluded, "France for us and for the world is a sign of hope for the values of freedom, equality, and brotherhood. We pray that it remains a beacon lighting the paths toward a better world and a new humanity. We ask God to accept our prayers for our countries, and may the grace of Easter touch our hearts, directing our minds toward all that is true and our will toward what is just."
