The Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, presided over the Sunday Mass at the altar of the Church of the outer courtyard of the Patriarchal edifice in Bkerki, the Chapel of the Resurrection.
Patriarch Al-Rahi addressed in a special way to every official in the church, family, society and the state, stressing that “the duty of this official is to face the difficulties that his responsibility imposes on him. He does not evade them, does not despair, is not lazy, and does not justify his inaction and negligence. The true official faces difficulties and finds solutions to them, lest It exacerbates and causes great harm to those under his responsibility. What if our political officials are striving to create difficulties and complexes that bring disastrous results for the citizens. They have “dedicated themselves with every effort” in not electing a president for the republic, in perpetuating the vacuum in the first presidency, and paralyzing institutions. Six months ago, they threw the country into complete collapse economically, financially, developmentally and socially. Then they returned with the same “dedication and efforts” to extend the municipal and elective councils, – ironically – thinking that by doing so they justify the inability to elect a president of the republic. .
He asked the nation’s deputies: “How did you refuse to convene, to date, to elect a president for the republic, and you continued in the presidential vacuum, and today you meet with ease and secure the quorum in order to postpone another constitutional, national and democratic due, which is to hold municipal and elective elections, and thus prevent citizens from their constitutional right to expression.” express their opinion and convey to whomever they see fit.
You easily underestimate the people and the constitution and renew for people whose terms of office that the people gave them by proxy have expired. How absurd and shameful the reason is that there is no money to cover the costs of the elections! Why didn’t you secure the money before reaching this maturity? It is a second absurdity to be added to the previous one: agreement on the person nominated for the first presidency. Where were you, O parliamentary blocs, during the six years of the term of the President of the Republic? What were you doing? Did you find a candidate? Why didn’t you get along with this person all these years? In both of these absurdities, you made it clear to the public that you are not worthy of the responsibility that has been assigned to you, and despite all of this, you occupy and confiscate responsibility at the expense of destroying the state and impoverishing and killing the people. Is this not a betrayal of the trust that the people entrusted you with?”
Al-Rai concluded: “How do you reconcile the lightness of the decision to extend the mandate of the municipal councils, and the seriousness of the long work undertaken by the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities to prepare and organize the electorate bodies, and asked the government last January for the necessary and specific funds? To conduct these elections. My Lord and my God! These two words have become The entrance to all our liturgical prayers, which is the declaration of our faith, the cry of our appeal to seek divine mercy, forgiveness for our sins, and the sins of all human beings, and for stability and peace in our homeland and in the world.
