Patriarch Rai celebrating Sunday of Lent with the assistance of Maronite religious dignitaries in Bkerkeh. (Credit: NNA)
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai declared on Sunday that Lebanon has turned the page on its Civil War — whose 50th anniversary is being commemorated this year — as well as the period during which the country lived on the fringes of legality. He made the remarks during his Palm Sunday homily in Bkerkeh.
“Today, April 13, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War (1975–2025), which shattered our lives, our childhood and our youth, and distorted our relationship with Lebanon, as well as the relationships among the Lebanese themselves. Lebanon has turned the page on the Civil War, and today it is turning the page on its departure from legality and its struggle against it,” said the head of the Maronite Church.
Cardinal Rai’s statement echoes the intent expressed by Lebanese authorities since the election of Joseph Aoun on Jan. 9 to return the monopoly on arms to the army. It also ties into ongoing discussions around Hezbollah’s arsenal, more than four months after the cease-fire between the party and Israel took effect.
The Patriarch also called on Christian candidates in the upcoming municipal elections to embody the values of their faith, stressing the need for proper representation. “On this basis, they must be elected to municipal councils, representative bodies, and unions — to take part in Christ’s kingship and to embody spiritual sobriety, detachment, self-giving, dedication to love, freedom and justice, and to lay the foundations for peace and social brotherhood,” he added.
The power-sharing arrangement in the Beirut municipality between representatives of the Christian and Muslim communities has drawn considerable attention in recent days.
