Patriarch of Antioch and all the East for the Melkite Greek Catholics, Joseph Absi, chaired the monthly meeting of the bishops, attended by the general superiors and superiors general at the patriarchal headquarters in Rabweh. They discussed church matters and the general situation in the country and the region. At the end of the meeting, Council Secretary, Bishop Georges Edouard Daher, read the final statement where the attendees expressed "heartfelt wishes to all Lebanese, especially Muslims, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr" and expressed their "sorrow that the holiday arrives while Arab peoples are threatened with destruction and death, particularly in Gaza." They also lamented "the continuation of the war on Lebanese soil, especially in the south, which constitutes a blatant violation of international treaties that grant peoples the right to liberate their land and self-determination."
The attendees closely monitored the current developments in the country and considered them to "portend grave consequences and take us back to an atmosphere of strife that we, as well as every loyal Lebanese, reject, due to the escalating sectarian and denominational rhetoric and the prioritization of personal interests over those of the country, in addition to passing external agendas at the expense of land and people." They called upon "all stakeholders and all responsible parties at all levels to exhibit rationality, wisdom, and good knowledge to spare our country further calamities and wars." They warned of the "consequences of vindictive polices based on selfishness and the refusal to recognize the rights of others to exist."
The attendees noted that "the escalation of military operations in southern Lebanon, which could affect the entire nation, is leading to further vertical divisions among the components of the political community in Lebanon instead of being a catalyst for a serious meeting of all the nation's components to save what can be saved." They emphasized the "duty of everyone to realize that Lebanon is one, its people are one, and its fate is one, and thus everyone should avoid slipping into hatreds and mobilization against one another."
The attendees reflected on the "continuation of the vacancy in the presidency and the resulting dysfunction in state management, which has driven many citizens to lose their allegiance to the homeland, to disbelieve in its existence, and to pack their bags to emigrate in search of a dignified life that befits a human being and their legitimate rights." They expressed the view that the country has lost its essential components and has become marginal, without any of the officials taking action amid administrative chaos and corruption that undermines the state's pillars.
The attendees stressed the "necessity of unifying internal ranks to encourage the international community to find a solution to the Syrian refugee crisis, which Lebanon cannot bear or endure its results in a manner that ensures their dignity and prevents Lebanon from falling into the risks that are beginning to appear." They called for the international community to work on returning them to safe areas in their homeland and to support them in remaining there.
