Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai (center.) (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — In his Sunday homily, Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai insisted that Lebanon can’t continue without a president, urging the election of a president. The patriarch also prayed for “peace and justice, in Gaza and southern Lebanon."
Speaking during the feast of Mar Charbel in the Maronite Monastery in Aannaya (Keserwan district,) Rai called on “all parties to put aside their differences for the nation's benefit,” so that a president can be elected and the “constitution can be upheld.”
Lebanon has been without a president since former president Michel Aoun’s term in office ended on Oct.31, 2022.
To date, Parliament has made 12 unsuccessful attempts to elect a new president — the most recent of them almost a year ago.
Turning his attention to the cross-border conflict in southern Lebanon, Rai again used his homily to call for an end to the war in Gaza and for the Lebanese to be spared its fallout.
On Saturday night, Israeli strikes targeted a Hezbollah arms depot in Adloun, a coastal town in southern Lebanon between Saida and Sour, three security sources told Reuters.
The bombardment of a village some 40 kilometers from the Blue Line triggered a series of explosions heard by witnesses throughout the south.
South Lebanon has been the scene of almost daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli army since Oct. 8. Hezbollah says its actions are in support of its Palestinian ally in Gaza, Hamas.