God created the world in six days, and on the seventh he rested! That is if we were to believe the biblical script. But Patriarch Raï, the new head of the Maronite church, creates a “controversy” for seven days, then starts two new ones on the eighth!
On tuesday, His Beatitude received a Syrian delegation headed by the Mufti of Damascus (Does the Mufti give the Friday sermon under the protection of Assad’s “Shabiha”?). The delegation included an opportunistic Syriac businessman, while the Syriac leaders lie in the Assad prisons! Earlier, Raï had began his day with a boisterous meeting of the Maronite Council which only lacked a declaration of “dissidence” in an oriental church which has never been split in its history!
With Patriarch Sfeir, we had looked with reverence towards the Maronite Patriarchate and its reconciliatory, national, and national ndependence role. But the new Patriarch will “teach us” to be wary of the men of cloth! ”The glory of Lebanon is not “given” .. It is “deserved”!
Bkirki, tomorrow can issue a statement “denying” “media reports”, but Shaffaf stands by the utmost accuracy of its information.
Pierre Akel
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Metransparent Exclusive
Sources close to the patriarch in Bkirki said that the Council of Maronite Bishopsh held on tuesday, witnessed heated arguments between bishops who support Patriarch Raï and bishops who had rallied to the “line” represented by Patriarch Sfeir. The meeting took nearly four and a half hours before coming out with a controversial statement. Eariler, Bishop Samir Mazloum had prepared the draft statement which included a March-8 flavored political appeal, including a declaration of full support for Raï positions.
Bishops Hobeika, Guy Najim, and Munjid Al-Hashem formed the spearhead of the confrontation against Raï and his team, especially when pro Raï bishops deplored the participation of more than seven of their counterparts in the “Martyrs Mass” held by the Lebanese Forces Party.
The Bishops supporting Raï had, earlier, informed March-8 media that the extensive participation of clergy and bishops in the LF Martyrs Mass gave the impression of a split in the Church, especially since at the same moment, the newPatriarch was visiting South Lebanon while his predecessor Cardinal Sfeir headed the bishops delegation to the FL mass.
Apparently, loud objections were voiced regarding church participation in the Lebanese Forces mass, with objectors suggesting a ban on turning a religious mass into a political event. The bishops who had attended the mass said that the martyrs were Christians, and therefore their “martyrdom” while defending Lebanon cannot be overlooked “whether they like it or not”.
Cardinal Sfeir was committed to silence, and kept smiling whenever the Bishops’ screams became too loud, especially after Raï expressed his dismay over the LF mass.
While reviewing the draft statement, objections became louder especially after the bishops felt that Raï and his team which was led by Bishop Samir Mazloum, were dictating the statement on them. Three bishops, Najim, Hobeika and Al-Hashem went on to refute the items of the statement, emptying it of its political content, while maintaining one item regarding the the unity of the Church behind the Patriarch.
Sources said that Raï informed the Bishops Council of the details of his upcoming visit to the U.S., adding that he will not visit Washington DC since he did not ask for a meeting with President Barack Obama or any other Administration official, adding that he will be visiting his parish. Patriarch Raï overlooked, however, the fact that his biggest parish is, in fact, in Washington DC.
Translation by: Aline Karim