ASIA/LEBANON - Cardinal Parolin to religious leaders: amid conflict, Lebanon must remain a model of coexistence

Beirut (Fides Agency ) - "Lebanon today must remain a model of coexistence and unity in the face of the ongoing crises and wars," said Cardinal Pietro Parolin to high-ranking representatives of the Churches and religious communities present in Lebanon, whom he met on Tuesday morning, June 25, in Bkerké, the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate. "I am here today," the Cardinal added in his brief address to those present, referring to the institutional crisis in which the Land of the Cedars finds itself, "to try to contribute to a solution to the crisis in Lebanon, which does not elect a president, and to try to find solutions that are good for everyone, and I hope that today we can all find a solution to the current crisis."
The meeting with the heads of the Lebanese Christian and Muslim communities in Bkerké was convened by the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai. Among others, the Armenian Orthodox Catholicos Aram I, the Armenian Catholic Patriarch Rafael Minassian, the Melkite Patriarch Youssef Absi, the Grand Mufti of the Republic Abdul Latif Derian and the head of the Alawite Islamic Council, Sheikh Ali Kaddour, also took part in the meeting. No Shiite representatives were present in the meeting, while Christian politicians such as Gibran Bassil from the "Free Patriotic Movement", the chairman of the "Marada" movement, Suleiman Frangieh, and a representative of the president of the "Lebanese Forces", Samir Geagea, were present.
At the beginning of the meeting, Maronite Patriarch Rai said that the "Lebanese family" is "going through a very difficult phase" today. "I hope that we will launch an appeal on the importance of praying for peace and an end to the wars that the region and Lebanon can no longer endure," he emphasized.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived in the Lebanese capital last Sunday at the official invitation of the Order of Malta.
The program of his visit to Lebanon also includes meetings with the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and the interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati. (GV) (Fides Agency 26/6/2024)

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