Salt + Light Media Menu
Salt + Light Media Home
Magnifying Glass

Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, speaks about the crisis in Lebanon

Salt + Light Media

Thursday, September 10, 2020

The port of Beirut prior to the explosion on August 4, 2020, which caused extensive damage to the city. Photo by Jo Kassis from Pexels
Below is a statement given by His Beatitude Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, during a webinar titled "Lebanon’s Tragedy, Lebanon’s Hopes: An Update on Beirut from Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï". This webinar, sponsored by Fordham University's Center on Religion and Culture and presented in partnership with the Catholic Near East Welfare Association and Salt + Light Media, took place this morning and was streamed live through Salt + Light Media's Facebook page and YouTube channel.
In case you missed it, a recording of the webinar is available to watch on the Salt + Light Media Facebook page, or you can go directly to the video by clicking here.
 

Statement of His Beatitude Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East

  1. Lebanon, the last Christian foothold in the Middle East, multi-confessional and multi-religious, home for 18 Christian and Muslim confessional communities, living together equal in rights and duties, is the only democratic secular State in the Arab world. It is an example of unity in diversity. That Lebanon is experiencing unprecedented economic, social and financial problems, and is facing, as a result, an existential danger like never before in its history.
  2. That small country resisted, for centuries, against persecution and oppression by various foreign occupations, prospered and remained strong. But at the present time, due to decades of political and financial corruption, to the Corona Pandemic and the latest explosion at the port of Beirut, is facing a real danger of disintegration. Due to the fast economic deterioration and the socio-political crises, the middle classes, the backbone of the population and the bedrock of a flourishing nation, are slipping sharply into poverty; more than half of the Lebanese population now lives below the poverty line, as the purchasing power of Lebanese currency has decreased by about 80 percent. In addition to all of our internal problems, the presence of more than half a million Palestinian refugees and 1.5 million Syrian displaced, have overburdened our infrastructure and taxed further the ailing economy of a country of 10452 km2 and four million inhabitants!  Lebanon finds itself in a more critical situation still as it witnesses the emigration of a number of its work force seeking a future elsewhere.
  3. The weakening of the Christian Community in Lebanon would be a huge loss for the country, the Middle East and, indeed, the world. The many churches in Lebanon, especially since the 18th century, and despite the difficulties and challenges, have invested greatly in projects of development; in schools, universities, various educational institutions, and in hospitals and various social and mental health facilities. All these institutions have created and nourished a vibrant culture of openness, freedom and democracy. That is why Lebanon has been considered as the university, the hospital and the bank of the modern Middle East.
  4. Today I would like to urge all our friends, all those who believe in the importance of a culture of freedom, moderation, diversity and inter-religious co-living, not to forget Lebanon at this time of great need, as it faces the worst existential crisis in its history. King Faisal of Saudi Arabia once said: “had we not have that country of Lebanon, we would have needed to invent it.”
  5. I wish to address in particular the millions of Lebanese in the expansion, and indeed all friends of Lebanon in the free world: Please do not let Lebanon fall into despair. Help us to restore it, once again, to that vibrant and flourishing religious, political and cultural model in the Middle East, so that it may be able to play its role and fulfill its own mission.


Related Articles:

Category: Synode sur la Nouvelle Evangélisation

La coresponsabilité synodale dans la mission évangélisatrice

Friday, October 13, 2023

Sel et Lumière

LA CORESPONSABILITÉ SYNODALE   DANS LA MISSION ÉVANGÉLISATRICE.  Comment partager les dons et les tâches au service de l’Évangile ?  Carlos María Galli  Doyen de la Faculté de théologie de l’Université catholique d’Argentine  Membre de la Commission théologique internationale – Coordinateur de l’équipe théologique et pastorale du CELAM    L’Instrumentum Laboris place le thème de la […]

« Témoin » avec Mgr Rino Fisichella

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Sel et Lumière

Ne manquez pas ce soir à 19h35, notre nouveau « Témoin ». Le père Thomas Rosica, csb,  s’entretient avec Mgr Rino Fisichella, Président du Conseil pontifical pour la promotion de la nouvelle évangélisation. Ce dernier nous éclaire sur ce que l’on entend par « Nouvelle Evangélisation ».

Homélie du Pape aux confirmands

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Sr Marie-Noëlle

Ce matin, le Pape François a célèbré la Messe pour les Confirmands et les Confirmés du monde entier venus en pèlerinage à Rome, à l’occasion de l’Année de la Foi. Il a administré le Sacrement de la Confirmation. Voici son homélie dans son intégralité: Chers frères et sœurs ! Très chers confirmands ! Bienvenue ! […]

Au retour du Synode sur la nouvelle évangélisation

Friday, December 21, 2012

Sel et Lumière

Le synode des évêques sur la nouvelle évangélisation pour la transmission de la foi chrétienne s’est tenu à Rome en octobre 2012. Un moment particulièrement important pour l’Église qui fêtait alors les cinquante ans de l’ouverture du Concile Vatican II. Pendant trois semaines, ce sont 262 pères synodaux, venus du monde entier, qui étaient réunis […]

Témoin: Mgr Luis Antonio Tagle

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Sel et Lumière

13 decembre, 2012 – Lors du Congrès eucharistique international de Dublin, le Père Thomas Rosica, csb a rencontré Mgr Luis Antonio Tagle, archevêque de Manille, Philippines. Celui-ci était aussi intervenu lors du Congrès eucharistique international de Québec. Dans cette entrevue exclusive, quelques mois avant d’être nommé cardinal, Mgr Tagle parle de la situation de l’Église […]

SUPPORT LABEL

Receive our newsletters
Stay Connected
Receive our newsletters
Stay Connected
Copyright © 2025 Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation
Registered Charity # 88523 6000 RR0001
FR | CH