Introduction to the evening news 09-02-2013

Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Beshara Rai did it. He went to Damascus, in a visit which has been postponed many times since the beginning of the uprising.          

The visit divided the public opinion. Supporters considered it as a message of hope for Syrians who are steeped in their sufferings, mainly for Christians in light of the escalating extremist movements emerging on the sidelines of the revolution. As for opponents, they considered it as a step which would benefit the regime that is trying to promote itself as the "protector of minorities" in Syria.     

The official ceremony is the inauguration of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi on Sunday. But the Patriarch’s sermon during Saint Maroun’s mass held at the St. Antonius Church in Bab Touma was not free of political statements. “Enough with the violence, killings and destruction!” Rai cried, stressing that while reforms in Syria are mandatory, they should not be imposed from abroad, but implemented through dialogue and understanding.           

From Damascus to Arsal where LBCI received a video showing how the injured soldiers were transported from the municipality’s building to the ambulance, a video which would shed the light on the last chapter of the Arsal tragedy.   

All these developments and more in our detailed news bulletin.