Patriarch Al-Rai: Lebanon Needs a President as He Is the Sole Guarantee of Unity in Diversity

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai affirmed that "Mary is honored in Christianity and Islam, and the Feast of the Annunciation has been established as a national holiday in Lebanon," considering it "one of the beautiful elements that unite the Lebanese." He emphasized during the sermon for the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at the Patriarchal Church in Diman: "There are many things that unite Christianity and Islam, and we must return to them and cultivate them in our national life, as they are the foundation for the system of cultural and religious pluralism in Lebanon, which is pluralism in unity. By pluralism, we mean diversity, and this is a fundamental characteristic of Lebanon's political system." He added, "Lebanon as a single color is not Lebanon. Lebanon as a single party is not Lebanon. Lebanon as a single opinion imposed by an individual or a faction is not Lebanon, and Lebanon as a single religion is not Lebanon. Therefore, Lebanon needs to elect a president, as he alone guarantees unity in diversity, as the president of the republic is the sole head of state and a symbol of national unity (Article 49 of the constitution)."