The head of the Maronite Church Bechara al-Rai. (Credit: Archive photo by NNA)
In his first homily since the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Friday in a rare and violent Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, Bechara al-Rai stated that ''the martyrdom of Hassan Nasrallah reopens wounds in the hearts of the Lebanese.''
His remarks resonate even more strongly as the prelate has often sharply criticized the ''front of support for Gaza'' opened by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The Maronite Patriarch affirmed, ''I celebrate this mass for the repose of the souls of the victims of recent days, and to pray for peace.''
Reflecting on the violent airstrikes carried out by the Israeli air force on various Lebanese regions, which have resulted in over a thousand casualties in a week, Rai called on the international community to strive to end the ''cycle of war, killing and destruction.''
''In war, we are all losers; that is why it is crucial to prioritize negotiations,'' he added.
Rai also stated that ''the Lebanese have paid a heavy price for straying from the national pact,'' emphasizing that ''Lebanon can fulfill its mission only through positive neutrality.''
The theme of Lebanon's neutrality regarding regional conflicts is important to the Maronite Patriarch, who also continually calls for the election of a president to protect the state and its institutions. Lebanon has been without a president — a Maronite by tradition — since October 2022, following Michel Aoun's mandate, due to the political divisions deeply splitting the country.
This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
