Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai during a mass in Bkerke. (Credit: NNA(
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai stated that Lebanon’s need to remain neutral on a regional level does not mean severing ties with the international and regional organizations of which it is a member, during his homily at the last Sunday mass before Lent, which begins simultaneously this year for both Maronites and Greek Orthodox Christians.
Jaafarite Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Kabalan indirectly responded by stating that neutrality cannot apply when it comes to “national interests.”
“Neutrality does not mean leaving the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or the United Nations, but rather modifying and activating Lebanon’s role in all these institutions and others, making it a partner in seeking solutions instead of continuing to be a victim of disputes and conflicts,” said Cardinal Raï at the patriarchate in Bkerke, as reported by the National News Agency (NNA). This is the basis of a “positive neutrality” in all its manifestations, which implies that all Lebanese be “loyal to their homeland.”
In a statement made on the second day of the month of Ramadan, Jaafarite Mufti Abdel Amir Kabalan, considered close to Hezbollah, emphasized the need to develop national policies to preserve the country, which he considers to be threatened on all sides by the “claws” of foreign entities. “There is no neutrality when it comes to national interests. There is an international and regional reality, and we are not on Mars,” he stated.
Patriarch Raï has previously defended Lebanon’s need to remain neutral and not take sides in regional rivalries, particularly between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which earned him praise from Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon, Walid Boukhari, in 2020. At the time, the Wahhabi kingdom was at odds with Beirut, accusing the government of allowing Hezbollah, an Iranian ally and rival to Saudi Arabia, to control the country. The situation has since evolved with the latest war between Hezbollah and Israel, which has significantly weakened the party. Mufti Kabalan recently stated that “the problem is not with the weapons of the Resistance, but with what Lebanon needs to preserve its sovereignty and existence against its only enemy, Israel.”
Rebuilding the country on solid foundations
The Patriarch also spoke about the early steps of the new government, which gained the confidence of the Parliament this week. “The Lebanese community rejoiced that the government of Nawaf Salam received 95 votes, reflecting the confidence of the Lebanese people and countries worldwide, in addition to their trust in the person of the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun,” said Patriarch Rai. Aoun’s election ended more than two years of presidential vacancy, while Salam’s government replaces that of Najib Mikati, which had been resigned since the May 2022 parliamentary elections.
“They now have the duty to capitalize on this trust through reforms, reconstruction, economic progress, the restoration of public institutions internally, the establishment of the state and its institutions, and reconciliation among the Lebanese based on belonging to one homeland and equality for all, so that ‘Lebanon becomes the final homeland for all its children as [stated in the Constitution],’” the Patriarch added.
Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Elias Audi also expressed his support for the new executive after the vote of confidence. “We support this new era and its government, which we congratulate for having won the trust of the majority of parliamentarians, to rebuild our country on solid foundations that can withstand all harmful winds,”
