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The Maronite Patriarch, Bechara Rai, will make a visit to the Chouf on Friday, with highlights including a morning meeting in Chanay (Aley) with the Druze Sheikh Akl, Sami Abi el-Mouna, a conference and speeches at the Baakline library, lunch at the Joumblatt palace in Moukhtara, and an evening Mass at the Maronite Bishopric of Beiteddine, in celebration of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (September 8).
Contrary to a circulating rumor, this patriarchal day is neither improvised nor a gesture of complaisance toward the new leader of the PSP, Taymour Joumblatt, but was carefully prepared during a visit the Druze Sheikh Akl had made to Dimane on August 8th.
Highly symbolic at a time when political divisions are on the agenda, the visit will once again confirm a “reconciliation” between the Maronites and the Druzes that was sealed 22 years ago (2001), under the auspices of Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and Druze leader Walid Joumblatt. An agreement in which former Minister of Interior Ziad Baroud sees a prototype of a true “national partnership” that goes beyond mere “cohabitation.”
Abi el-Mouna: Times change, reconciliation remains
Commenting on the expected visit to journalists, the Druze Sheikh Akl stated: “Between the 2001 meeting between Patriarch Sfeir and Walid Joumblatt and Patriarch Rai’s visit today, the truth and depth of the reconciliation that was made are confirmed, even though many things have changed between these two dates. Yet, reconciliation remains strong, as does the Mountain.”
The conference that the patriarch is expected to deliver at the Baakline library is titled “Fruits of Reconciliation and Prospects.” According to Bishop Maroun Ammar, Bishop of Sidon and the Chouf, who will accompany the patriarch during his tour on Friday, these fruits include “a return to normalcy, including the reconstruction of damaged or destroyed houses, the return of displaced populations beyond the hesitations of some, or the relocation of families closer to the places of employment of the head of the family, the reopening of schools, universities (there are two, the Lebanese University and the Antonine University), clinics, hospitals, and businesses, the return of church bells, etc. In short, the disappearance of all fear.”
“But, as in all of the Mountain,” Bishop Ammar notes, “there are still Maronites in the Chouf who hesitate to return to the villages they fled, mainly because they consider them too far from their workplaces.”
During his visit, the patriarch may also clarify his position regarding the call for “dialogue” made by the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri. “The patriarch neither said yes nor no to this call,” according to a source close to the Maronite Church. “It’s not his concern. He simply demands that we do not deviate from the Constitution,” the source said.
In his homily on Sunday, Patriarch Rai encouraged deputies to respond favorably to Berri’s call for a seven-day dialogue, which he would like to follow with successive electoral sessions until the election of a president. His position was rather poorly received in opposition circles, which are hostile to what they consider an unnecessary dialogue, while the words of the Maronite patriarch were actually more nuanced. “Dialogue requires an approach without the imposition of ideas or projects. It must respect the Constitution and consider it the only path to follow,” the patriarch said.
Baroud: “nothing out of the ordinary”
“This visit should not be perceived as exceptional, but as nothing out of the ordinary,” said Ziad Baroud to This is Beirut. “The Maronite patriarch travels to all regions. There is no reason for him not to visit the Chouf. The symbolism of his tour on Friday lies in the fact that the Lebanese have moved beyond the idea of mere coexistence and are engaged in a true national partnership that goes beyond purely sectarian symbolism and touches on better managing coexistence.”
“The decentralization we talk about today is nothing more than seeking a better management of coexistence. Patriarch Rai consolidates this definitive exit from war and its suffering. We must now extend this management of pluralism to other components of Lebanese society and move forward in building a pluralistic Lebanon. The Mountain is a beautiful example to follow,” added Baroud.
