Beirut under fire: Church officials call for peace

ACI MENA, Oct 7, 2024 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

Black smoke and raging fires lit up the sky as successive explosions rumbled through Beirut’s southern suburbs over the weekend, with Oct. 5 marking one of the most violent nights the Lebanese capital has experienced. As tensions escalate between Hezbollah and Israel, heavy airstrikes hit deep into areas already emptied of residents, spreading fear through neighboring cities and towns.

The deteriorating situation forces Lebanon’s government to address both political and humanitarian concerns as people flee the bombarded areas. The Church stands alongside the state, active on multiple fronts: pushing diplomatically for a cease-fire and peace, providing aid to victims, and maintaining continuous prayer vigils.

After what many have called the most violent night since fighting intensified in Lebanon, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, the Maronite patriarch, spoke out reaffirming his stance on this war and its consequences. 

“Our political leaders must set aside their differences and unite with a sense of historic duty,” he stated. “They need to seriously work on electing a president who has both domestic and international support.”

Presiding over the Sunday of the Rosary Mass, Al-Rahi added from his patriarchal summer residence in Diman, northern Lebanon: “Electing a president is crucial right now. This leader will need to unite the nation, enforce Resolution 1701 and a cease-fire, handle talks about Lebanon’s regional role, get Parliament and cabinet working again, rebuild Lebanon’s standing in Arab and world communities, and help over a million displaced Lebanese.”

Lebanon has been without a president since Oct. 31, 2022. As head of state, this position is always held by a Maronite Christian.

Al-Rahi ended the Mass with a prayer: “Let us pray, brothers and sisters, for an end to the war in Lebanon, for the safe return of the displaced, and for the swift election of a president. Let us also pray for the commitment of our government, both governmental and nongovernmental institutions, and for collective and individual initiatives to provide aid to displaced families throughout Lebanon, including those from the south, Beirut, Baalbek, and other regions. May God have mercy on us, our people, and our wounded nation.”

Minassian’s call

On the international level, Armenian Catholic Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian brought his concerns to Pope Francis at the Vatican on Oct. 5. He painted a harrowing picture of the war’s devastation in Lebanon, asking the Holy Father to “be a voice for peace and to call upon the international community to provide humanitarian aid swiftly and support de-escalation efforts.”’

This article was first published by ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.