Patriarch al-Rahi calls for successful negotiations, reform and state control of weapons in Christmas message

Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, in his Christmas message, called for the success of ongoing negotiations, the avoidance of war and the empowerment of the Lebanese Armed Forces to collect illegal weapons and place them exclusively under state authority.

Al-Rahi said Lebanon’s economic situation remains under severe strain, while promised reforms have yet to materialize, adding that ordinary citizens continue to bear the cost of the crisis.

He stressed that Lebanon does not need continued crisis management, but rather a comprehensive national vision and genuine political will to move the country away from temporary fixes and delays toward a path of responsibility and rebuilding.

Addressing political leaders, al-Rahi urged them to make reform a priority, adopt transparency as a guiding principle and establish justice as a foundation. 

He said economic and financial reform has become an existential necessity, beginning with restoring trust, organizing public finances, protecting people’s money and guaranteeing their rights, while ensuring a minimum level of social and economic stability.