Greek Orthodox Archbishop of the Beirut Diocese Elias Audi stated that blocking the presidential election “no longer serves any purpose” and that “condescension and hegemony lead nowhere.” On the contrary, “they lead to a negative reaction,” hence the need to “return to reason and put the public interest ahead of the personal one,” the archbishop said in his Sunday sermon.
Audi prayed “that the Holy Spirit may enlighten the leaders of our country so that they may be able to distinguish good from evil and work for good and justice.”
“We hope they will come to understand that the ship cannot sail without a captain, and that it risks sinking at any moment. What then of Lebanon, which suffers from the absence of a captain and a specialized crew to assist it?”
Audi also asked, “Who will work to save the country, who will spearhead the efforts to execute the necessary reforms, and who will implement them in the absence of a president and a government?”
Audi pointed out that with events accelerating in the region, countries are thinking about “meeting their own interests and satisfying the needs of their people. Only Lebanon is condemned to a vacuum, while its citizens suffer and its resources are exhausted,” he concluded.
