The head of the Maronite Church, Bechara al-Rai, during a mass celebrated at the headquarters of the Maronite summer patriarchate, in Dimane, on July 24, 2022. (Credit: Fathi Al-Masri/AFP)
"Look elsewhere for the agents", "You know who they are and where they are": the head of the Maronite Church, Bechara al-Rai said Sunday, once again raising his voice against Hezbollah and its camp in the case of the arrest of the Archbishop of Haifa and Jerusalem, Moussa al-Hage.
During his Sunday homily at the headquarters of the Maronite Patriarchate in Dimane, amidst a large crowd of citizens and politicians, including the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb, mobilized to support his position, the prelate castigated those behind the arrest of Hage with the intention of sending a strong message to the patriarch, whose sovereignist political positions are the opposite Hezbollah's, the pro-Iranian party many have accused of involvement in Hage's arrest.
Bishop Hage was interrogated for 13 hours by the Lebanese authorities when he passed through Ras al-Naqoura border crossing last Monday, as he was returning to Lebanon from Israel in possession of aid in cash and medicine provided by private persons of various faiths to their relatives in Lebanon.
Those who "harm Lebanon" are called upon to "stop saying that aid comes from agents," the patriarch stressed, after Hage was accused of funneling funds from an enemy state and importing Israeli medicine. "Look for the agents elsewhere, you know who they are and where they are," Rai added, in an implicit reference to Hezbollah, whose pro-Iranian policy is focused on opposing the Israeli state.
After the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary group Mohammad Raad insinuated on Saturday that Hage could be considered an Israeli agent, saying that "collaboration with the enemy is a national treason and a crime," some observers believe that the patriarch wanted to accuse Hezbollah of working in favor of Iran in the country and the region.
"The Patriarchate remains committed to its positions and will continue its march based on positive and active neutrality," Rai continued, in a new dig at the Shiite party.
International conference for Lebanon
"The sovereignty of Archbishop Moussa al-Hage was violated in Naqoura," the patriarch recalled, saying that it is "unacceptable to harm a bishop without referring to the patriarchate." The religious dignitary, who resides at the headquarters of the bishopric of Jerusalem, had been arrested by the General Security on his arrival in Ras Naqoura, on the orders of the government commissioner at the military court, Fadi Akiki.
"We refuse this political police behavior and call for the return of everything that was confiscated from the prelate," continued the patriarch, in a reference to the passport, cell phone and gifts of some $460,000 in possession of the prelate. He also called for "the organization of an international conference for Lebanon to address the controversial issues that the country fails to resolve."
The day before, the head of the Maronite Church had considered that "what Bishop Hage did is a humanitarian action," recalling that Lebanese "are present in the Holy Land and that they have a role, a presence, regardless of the Israeli Jewish policy."
Speaking about political deadlines, the prelate insisted on "the formation of a new government as soon as possible and the election of a new president within the constitutional timeframe," while the cabinet of Prime Minister Najib Mikati has been managing the country in a caretaker capacity since May 22. The governmental negotiations seem to be at a standstill, almost two months after the appointment of Mikati and before the end of Mr. Aoun's mandate.
Solidarity of the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan
For his part, the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut, Elias Audi, called what happened with the archbishop "unacceptable." "We are with accountability and punishment of any criminal, thief, or violator of the law, whoever he may be, but what happened with the archbishop is unacceptable," Bishop Audi criticized in his Sunday homily.
According to him, "what happened reveals a new approach to the security and judicial treatment of cases and will have dangerous repercussions in the country. "If the arrest of the archbishop is a message sent to the church to stifle its voice, know that the church does not submit to threats or bad faith," he added.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.