The Maronite Bishops reiterated their firm refusal of dragging Lebanon into the Palestinian-Israeli war, from which all Arab countries distanced themselves.
In a statement released on Wednesday, following their monthly meeting in Bkerke, the Bishops called on concerned local parties to keep all citizens of the South, regardless of their religious or political affiliations, out of harm’s way.
Regarding the presidential deadlock, they voiced support to the “well-intended and positive efforts” by MPs, parliamentary blocs and others, hoping that parliament will hold consecutive open sessions until a new president is elected. They emphasized that such efforts align with external diplomatic initiatives.
However, they warned against encroaching upon Lebanon’s sovereignty, oil, water resources and its geographical rights, in any settlement of the conflict in South Lebanon.
“Any Lebanese negotiations on these issues fall under the jurisdiction of the President of the Republic and are subject to an inevitable freeze until his election,” the bishops reiterated to external stakeholders.
The bishops also expressed their “deep concern about the unfortunate deterioration of governance in the country, manifested most dangerously in the approval of an unjust budget for the Lebanese people.”
“It exacerbates inflation through blatant discrepancies between imports and exports,” while the authorities are evading their responsibilities “despite warnings by relevant financial and economic experts,” the statement reads.
They called on the Cabinet and Parliament to rectify the situation and address the root causes of the problem “before it escalates into a series of rebellions and uprisings that threaten public order and exacerbate the country’s many crises.”
The Maronite bishops tackled the Syrian refugees crisis, stating that they are monitoring “cautiously and anxiously the deteriorating conditions in many areas due to the increasing dangers posed by the refugees’ uncontrolled presence.”
“The danger now knocks at the doors of Lebanon’s identity and its national coexistence,” the bishops warned, adding that the refugees should be subjected to Lebanese tax and regulatory laws.
