Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rahi said Sunday that political parties ignoring Lebanon's basic principles would disrupt any future dialogue to save the country from its current crises.
“The success of any national dialogue, whether held under foreign patronage or an internal meeting, is linked to the recognition of these basic principles that do not need to be redefined on a daily basis,” the Patriarch said during Sunday’s mass.
Rahi had repeatedly called on Lebanese political parties to respect the principles of Lebanon’s sovereignty, independence, neutrality and decentralization.
On Sunday, he called for holding a dialogue, which he said is the only language that should exist among the Lebanese.
“It is not acceptable for political parties to view each other with hostility when the country is in dire need of reconciliation on clear national foundations that stem from Lebanon's principles,” he stressed.
Rahi said the Lebanese people are living in catastrophic conditions, referring to inflation, the lack of medication and the closure of schools, hospitals and universities, which increase the number of the unemployed.
He also referred to the high rates of poverty, illiteracy, emigration, and the increase in the number of refugees and displaced persons.
