Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai during a mass in Bkerki. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — During his Sunday homily at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai reiterated his call to relocate internally displaced people (IDPs) from schools to “better places” to protect education, according to the state-run National News Agency.
More than 1.4 million people have been displaced in Lebanon due to the war between Hezbollah and Israel, which escalated on Sept. 23. Many of the displaced are sheltering in schools across Lebanon.
“The loss of the school year in public and private schools occupied by IDPs or located in areas affected by destructive Israeli raids and bombings is a great loss for our children and youth. Therefore, the relevant ministry and the government must find better places for the displaced and ensure education to protect our future generations,” Rai said.
Last Sunday, the Maronite Patriarch called for schools to be “freed” from displacement use, prompting criticism, particularly from Hezbollah and its allies.
On Sunday, Rai also called for an extension of Lebanese Army Commander Joseph Aoun’s mandate, citing the ongoing presidential vacuum, the expanding conflict, and the importance of the army’s “unity, stability, and cohesion.”
Rai additionally voiced support for an initiative by MPs to appeal to UNESCO to “protect Lebanon’s archaeological and historical sites from Israeli raids on Baalbek, Sour, and Saida.”
“Protecting them is part of human civilization and our shared global and international heritage,” Rai said.
Finally, he extended congratulations to Donald Trump for winning the U.S. presidential election, expressing hope that Trump’s term would benefit Lebanon and the region.
Rai voiced hope that Trump would succeed in achieving a permanent cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, cooperate in electing a new Lebanese president as soon as possible, lead negotiations on Lebanon, and restore constitutional institutions to their normal state.
