The Council of Maronite Bishops held its monthly meeting in Bkirki on March 5, 2025. (Credit: NNA)
During its monthly meeting, the Council of Maronite Bishops in Bkirki (Kesrwan) welcomed President Aoun's visit to Riyadh on Monday, considering it a step to "strengthen relations between Lebanon and Saudi Arabia."
They expressed hope that this first overseas trip by the new head of state since his election on Jan. 9, during which he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the first time, "opens the way for future visits for both countries."
The Council of Maronite Bishops also hoped President Aoun's participation in the Arab summit in Cairo on Tuesday would enable Lebanon to revive Arab countries' solidarity toward it and lean on them to "recover at all levels." In crisis since 2019, Lebanon needs to reform and find funds to finance the reconstruction of areas destroyed by the war that pitted Israel against Hezbollah for more than 15 months.
The bishops welcomed the decision of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to visit south Lebanon on Feb. 28 and that he called on France and the United States, sponsors of the cease-fire that took effect on Nov. 27, to help Lebanon end the Israeli occupation of its lands. Israel still occupies five strategic sites in southern Lebanon, although its army was supposed to withdraw completely from Lebanon by Feb. 18. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated publicly that Israel received U.S. approval to remain "indefinitely" at these positions.
Finally, the bishops called on Nawaf Salam's government to initiate the necessary reforms to fix the Lebanese economy and financial system. They expressed a desire to see the municipal elections, scheduled for next May after several postponements, result in an outcome that more accurately reflects the "fabric of Lebanese society" than the division of districts based on the "interests" of "sectarian leaders and political parties."
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