Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai leading the religious service in Bkerke, Feb. 23, 2025. (Credit: NNA)
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai lamented in his Sunday homily at Bkerke that "some leaders in Lebanon are not up to the standards of the people and the state," without specifying whom he was referring to.
After two years of presidential vacancy, Lebanon elected former army commander General Joseph Aoun as head of state in January, followed shortly by the formation of a government led by Judge Nawaf Salam. Both leaders had previously been praised by the Maronite patriarch in past statements.
However, Rai has consistently criticized Hezbollah, particularly since the group launched a war against Israel on Oct. 8, 2023. In today’s homily, however, he did not mention the war or the political shifts in Lebanon, as the country witnesses mass funerals for former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, gathering hundreds of thousands of supporters in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The head of the Maronite Church decried Lebanon’s current state, devastated by crises and 15 months of war between Hezbollah and Israel.
"If those in power practiced charity, Lebanon could avoid uprisings. Unfortunately, the Lebanese reality is filled with resentment, especially among the leadership," he criticized.
According to Rai, however, "the people do not resemble some of their leaders, and some leaders are not up to the standards of this great people nor this exceptional state."
"In this decisive moment, our destiny is to resist and defend our free existence. In this crucial period, only national victory can preserve Lebanon’s foundations and values," he declared.
