Maronite Patriarch Beshara Boutros Rai stressed Friday that “the Church’s duty is to guide the souls so that political and economic decisions come as just and rightful,” noting that it does not follow any specific political system.
Patriarch Rai denounced the media campaigns launched against the church's institutions and Christianity in general, “as if they were scenes of entertainment and propaganda.”
Addressing journalists during a meeting in Bkerke, Rai said that “all the Lebanese people look forward to the constructive role and objective coverage of incidents provided by the media,” regretting however false news often spread by some journalists for political and financial purposes, under the pretext of freedom of expression.
On another note, the patriarch reiterated the call on the Lebanese deputies to elect a new president as soon as possible, in order to avoid further crises.
“The decision to elect a president is directly linked to the Sunni-Shiite conflict looming over the region, and Saudi Arabia and Iran may have a stance in this regard,” he said.