Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai blamed Lebanese officials for the woes plaguing Lebanon and its people, and called for a “spiritual revolution” that would lead to the election of a president of the republic and put Lebanon back on track.
At his Christmas Day sermon in Bkerke on Monday, Rai said, “Let this Christmas bring about a spiritual revolution in the life of every human being. The world today is a world of boasting and bullying. It needs this internal revolution, otherwise things will remain as they are, including corruption, conflicts and playing with the fate of nations.”
He regretted that “the internal coup did not happen at the level of our homeland, Lebanon, and we were waiting for a transformation in the hearts of the nation’s representatives and their blocs that would make them elect a competent, clean-handed president of the republic, devoid of any personal or sectarian interest.”
He bemoaned that the expected Christmas gift (electing a president) did not materialize, citing the proverb, “No one can give what they don’t have.”
Rai highlighted the dire conditions faced by many, stating, “Hearts are suffocating, and tears fill the eyes due to hunger, illness and the genocidal war in Gaza. Our people in the South are affected by the rejected war that has reached them.”
He warned that “the bankruptcy of the National Social Security Fund is a serious matter, which is, unfortunately, absent from political and parliamentary discourse.”
The patriarch also raised the alarm about the growing migration of Lebanese youth, companies and institutions. He stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive response to the challenges facing Lebanon, urging leaders to “prioritize the nation’s welfare and seek solutions to alleviate the suffering of its people.”
