Council of Catholic bishops ends meeting, issues statement

The Council of Catholic Bishops and Patriarchs in Lebanon expressed its relief towards Lebanon’s safety amid the regional turmoil, revealing however concerns regarding the security developments taking place in the northern city of Tripoli and affecting the lives of the Lebanese citizens.

In a statement issued following the council’s meeting at Bkerke, the bishops also expressed their concern regarding the continuous political disputes, calling on the politicians to reach agreement over a new cabinet and a new electoral law that guarantees fair representation.

This as, the statement urged the Christians of the Middle East to remain in their countries and coexist with Muslims, calling on everyone to pray for the release of the two abducted Syrian bishops and all other Lebanese detainees in Syrian jails.

On another note, the council of bishops called on the Lebanese government to assume its responsibilities and radically settle the issue of the prisons, where the situation is witnessing further deterioration on the humanitarian level, as well as on the security level.

On the issue of the free schools and catholic schools, the bishops encouraged the administrations of catholic schools to assist the parents who are unable to pay the fees, calling on the government to pay its dues to the public schools.

Commenting on the case of the ranks and salaries series, the council of bishops and patriarchs called on the concerned authorities to implement the necessary reforms and abstain from recklessly raising salaries.