Metropolitan of Beirut and its dependencies for the Greek Orthodox Church, Bishop Elias Audi, presided over the Divine Liturgy at St. George Cathedral, attended by a large number of faithful. He indicated that "citizens often err towards their homeland, prioritizing their interests over its welfare, and our miserable situation is merely a result of the separation of some leaders, politicians, rulers, and some citizens from their nation, similar to the wayward son, who failed to realize the dire fate awaiting him." He stated: "I wish we all understood the importance of our country and the necessity of preserving it. Lebanon needs the unification of all officials, leaders, and all its children around its interest, which is the interest of all. It needs collaborative efforts to save it, and the first action that officials must undertake is to elect a president to lead the rescue process."
He pointed out that "the delay in electing a president or obstructing the election is a condemned action because it prevents salvation and contributes to the destruction of what remains of the country's foundations and its remaining citizens who cling to it. It is essential to highlight the danger of the war extending to Lebanon. We all know we are facing a fierce criminal enemy that is unrestrained by conscience or humanity. Shall we place ourselves in the dragon's mouth? If we know that our Lebanon cannot endure the brutal consequences of this enemy, and we have witnessed the devastation in Gaza that has broken hearts, is it not wise to prevent Lebanon from sliding into a situation similar to what occurred there?"
He added: "Think about Lebanon's interest and its survival. The interest of Lebanon and its children supersedes all other interests. Is it permissible for a group of Lebanese to decide on behalf of everyone and monopolize making decisions that have not been agreed upon by all Lebanese and do not serve their interests? Will this group accept that another segment of the populace take positions or actions that plunge everyone into conflicts that all must pay for? Where is the state in all this? All Lebanese must reflect deeply on the situation we have reached and swiftly return to the embrace of Lebanon, just as the wayward son returned to his father's arms, and work diligently to save it so that we do not mourn a country given to us by God, which we did not preserve, but rather toyed with and tore apart like a child ripping apart a toy, in ignorance."
