Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rai voiced his rejection of “turning the process of improving the Lebanese system into an excuse to destroy Lebanon.”
“The peculiarity of the civil state in Lebanon is its democratic system and its full loyalty to the homeland. This entity must be defended by the state leadership, its legitimacy, and its army, and no component should monopolize the power,” he added during the Sunday mass sermon.
Rai went on to say: “The civil state in Lebanon respects all religions and their laws, as stipulated in Article 9 of the Constitution. There is no religion for the state in Lebanon, nor any religious book that is the basis of civil legislation...”
The patriarch warned Lebanon’s politicians of mismanaging the country’s affairs, saying: “The political class does not have the right to act irresponsibly in running the affairs of the country and citizens.”
He reiterated that Lebanon was known for its democratic system, its general freedoms, and coexistence between Christians and Muslims, with full and exclusive loyalty to the Lebanese homeland.
“This charter is the spirit of the constitution, and it is translated in the form of equal and balanced participation in constitutional institutions and public administrations,” he underlined.
