Statement of His Beatitude Bechara Cardinal Rai in Regard of Lebanon Protests

Press Release by the Patriarchal Office of Communication; Bkerke, Lebanon

His Beatitude Patriarch Bechara Cardinal Rai issued the following appeal:

It is not possible to continue to ignore the cries of the Lebanese people of all ages and walks of life, who are in a total state of revolution for the ninth consecutive day, from the north to the south and from the east to the west, demanding—and we stand by their demands—a new government; a government that is worthy of the trust of the Lebanese people. This government must be small in its composition, formed by accomplished and respected individuals from outside the current political spectrum and alliances, who are experts capable of implementing the economic and political reforms approved in a meeting of the Lebanese Cabined at the Presidential Palace on Monday, October 21, 2019.

The Lebanese Constitution affirms that Lebanon is a democratic parliamentary republic, which does not grant the right to no individual or group of individuals to impose their will on the majority. For no individual can rise above the nation and the people. Furthermore, the same Lebanese Constitution states that political power resides in the people who is sovereign in the exercise of power through the Constitution.  Henceforth, it is no longer permissible not to listen to their demands, which have unified the people under the country’s flag in a manner never seen before. Moreover, it is no longer possible to neglect the difficulties, hardships, sacrifices that the protesting demonstrators have experienced on a daily basis. Also we need to recognize the impact of the blockade imposed on highways and byways, which has paralyzed the nation and limited the mobility of most Lebanese citizens. Let government officials know that they are directly responsible for the treasury’s loss of millions of dollars as a result of the political stalemate and their failure to form a new government and to return the country back to normalcy.

Bkerke, Lebanon - October 25, 2019