The head of the Maronite Church, Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, launched on Sunday a scathing attack on Parliament which he accused of “violating Article 49 of the Constitution,” comparing MPs to “world leaders, whose hearts are made of stone,” as they supplied warring parties with most destructive weapons.
Article 49 of the Constitution sets out the prerogatives of the President of the Republic and the procedures for his election by vote of: a two-thirds majority of voters in a secret ballot in the first round, and a simple majority in subsequent ballots.
During his Sunday Sermon at the seat of the Maronite Church in Bkerke, the patriarch talked about his visit to the South last Thursday to show support to its residents “who are facing daily Israeli bombardments and are concerned for their fate.”
“We expressed solidarity with our people in the South by raising a joint call: We do not want a war that destroys our homes, kills our children and displaces us,” Rai said.
He noted that the visit to Tyre was welcomed by both local and international public opinion and marked by a patriotic spirit.
Rai said that the visit was limited to the city of Tyre, “where we met with the spiritual authorities of the south and UNIFIL’s head of mission.”
“Through them, we conveyed our solidarity with all our people in the South,” he added.
