Al-Rahi Warns Against Dragging Lebanon into Useless War

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, during his sermon on Sunday, emphasized Lebanon’s need for peace and condemned any actions that would draw the nation into conflict, destruction, or displacement, particularly criticizing the involvement in conflicts not directly related to the Lebanese people or those in southern Lebanon. This statement was seen as a veiled critique of Hezbollah’s activation of Lebanon’s southern front against Israel following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7.

Al-Rahi highlighted Lebanon’s role as a beacon of peace, rooted in its diverse cultural and religious fabric, historical coexistence, and political framework. Additionally, he denounced the severe actions taken by Israel in the Gaza Strip, describing them as egregious and expressing sorrow over the deaths of individuals awaiting food aid. The ongoing violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 289 people in Lebanon, including Hezbollah fighters and civilians, and 16 Israelis, while displacing thousands from their homes on both sides of the conflict.