Syriac Maronite Patriarch al-Rai urges unity and election of new Lebanese President during Divine Liturgy

BEIRUT — During a Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Summer Residence, Syriac Maronite Mor Bechara Boutros al-Rai stressed the urgent need to elect a new president for Lebanon to foster national unity.

He called on all political leaders in Lebanon to set aside their differences and collaborate in electing a president who commands trust both domestically and internationally.

“Electing a president is the top priority in the current situation to build internal national unity, implement UN Resolution 1701, ensure the ceasefire, and take over negotiations,” Patriarch al-Rai stated.

Concluding his sermon, the Patriarch called for prayers to end the escalating war in Lebanon, ensure the return of refugees to their homes, and urged the government, along with governmental and non-governmental organizations, to assist displaced families from various regions of Lebanon.