The Maronite bishops condemned on Wednesday the “opening of new fronts in southern Lebanon by any Palestinian factions because it violates Lebanon’s sovereignty as an independent state,” emphasizing that “the decision of war and peace must solely lie with the Lebanese state, considering its repercussions on the entire Lebanese people.”

In a statement issued following their monthly meeting in Bkerke, under the chairmanship of Patriarch Bechara Rai, they affirmed that the state, which should be complete in its constitutional institutions, should possess an effective tool for defending the country and its people, which is the role of the army.

“The army should be preserved as a fundamental constitutional institution, supported in its unity, leadership, and trust. Vacuums threatening its command centers should not be allowed,” they said, emphasizing that it should be given “all necessary means in weaponry and equipment to fulfill its duty toward the state and the Lebanese people.”

Maronite bishops fear that the absence of a head of state will “lead to further exclusivity in the war and peace decision-making in the name of Lebanon and in weakening the army, undermining Resolution 1701, using Lebanon as a field for regional military conflicts, and reopening its borders and fields to non-Lebanese weapons.

“All of this is a blatant violation of the covenant and the Taif Agreement, which restored Lebanon’s internal and external peace,” they affirmed.

Moreover, they urged the speaker of parliament and MPs to “elect a president to fill the presidential vacuum.” They also called on the prime minister to condemn “these violations and to promptly and decisively confront them on all political, security, diplomatic, and international levels.”

The bishops expressed their “deep sorrow” for the war raging in Gaza with its “terrible tragedies and horrifying catastrophes,” having seen “some promise in the ceasefire that lasted for six days.”

As we approach the festive season, the bishops hoped for “stability in the south and the return of peace to its villages along the border strip.”