Rai in Beirut on Tuesday, thanks those who prayed for him

After being appointed as Cardinal in the Vatican by Pope Benedict XVI, the Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Rai heads back to Lebanon next Tuesday where he will preside a mass to "thank the Lord for His blessings".

Rai expressed gratitude to all those who "prayed for him". He apologized for not receiving congratulatory visitors due to the current conditions, hoping that hope and peace will reign in Lebanon.

For his part, Army Commander Jean Kahwaji  contacted Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Rai to congratulate him for being appointed as Cardinal.

The Patriarch thanked the Lebanese Army and the ISF for the efforts they are exerting  in order to restore stability and to contain the situation in Lebanon.

"The Army and the ISF are the guarantors to all the Lebanese," Rai stressed.

Pope Benedict, putting his stamp on the future of the Roman Catholic Church, on Wednesday named six new cardinals from around the world to join the elite group of prelates who will one day choose his successor.   

The six are from the United States, Lebanon, India, Nigeria, Colombia, and the Philippines.

The ceremony, known as a consistory, will be held on November 24, the pope said in a surprise announcement at his weekly general audience.


LBCI/REUTERS