World Maronite Union praises chance meeting between Lebanese President Aoun and Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif in Vatican, rebukes Presidential statement following meeting

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a strongly worded communiqué released on Monday, the Washington, D.C.-based World Maronite Union (WMU) praised an impromptu encounter last week between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, a Syriac Maronite, and Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community. Simultaneously, the WMU condemned a subsequent statement issued by President Aoun’s office, describing it as “an insult to both the President and the honorable Druze community.” 

The meeting took place at the Vatican on 18 May, on the sidelines of a ceremony marking the investiture of Pope Leo XIV. Sheikh Tarif, widely regarded as “a fundamental pillar of the Druze sect worldwide,” holds broad respect among Druze populations in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, the WMU noted. According to the Union’s press release, the gathering highlighted “the importance and credibility of discussions regarding Druze affairs and concerns about their future wherever they may be.” 

However, mere hours after the Vatican encounter, Lebanon’s presidential media office, allegedly influenced by pro-Syrian and pro-Iranian actors, issued a statement invoking wartime constitutional measures and claiming to speak on behalf of the presidency. 

“What followed was a harsh response, wherein some — under the influence of Syrian and Iranian occupation — interfered in Druze affairs, issuing a statement in the name of the presidency that insulted both the President and the Druze people,” the Union’s communiqué stated. 

Druze-Maronite Relations 

Founded in 1998 to represent Maronite interests worldwide, the WMU emphasized Lebanon’s complex history of Maronite-Druze cooperation. “The Druze in Lebanon, Israel, and Syria have historically been integral to the Lebanese Republic, which was founded on upholding the unity of sects and mutual cooperation, especially between Maronites and Druze,” the statement declared. It also highlighted the “family ties between the Druze of Lebanon and their brethren in the Golan, Galilee, Chouf, and Jabal al-Arab,” stressing that “these bonds remain fundamental and indivisible despite geographic constraints and differing state sovereignties.” 

In a direct appeal to President Aoun, the World Maronite Union urged him to “soften the tone of the presidency regarding all repercussions of past pledges,” to issue an apology for “what transpired,” and to extend a personal invitation to Sheikh Tarif to visit Lebanon as a gesture of “respect and affection.” The Union also noted that Sheikh Tarif “has, over many years, delved deeply into the roots of Maronitism in al-Biyada” (a Druze religious enclave in Lebanon), underscoring his enduring ties to Maronite heritage. 

Lebanon’s Sectarian Politics 

Lebanese politics remain deeply sectarian, with power shared among Maronites, Sunnis, Shia, and Druze under a fragile consociational system. President Aoun, uncle of former Prime Minister Michel Aoun, has recently sought to expand his outreach to various religious communities, aiming to foster national cohesion amid the fallout from the Syrian civil war and Lebanon’s ongoing economic difficulties. 

Nevertheless, critics contend that Lebanon’s presidency has increasingly fallen under the sway of external patrons, most notably Iran and Syria, who exert influence through local proxies. The Maronite Union’s criticism of the presidential statement highlights growing frustration among some Christian factions over what they perceive as escalating Syrian and Iranian interference in Lebanese affairs, particularly concerning the Druze, a minority community with ties extending across regional borders. 

Chance Vatican Meeting 

Beyond Lebanon’s internal dynamics, the Vatican meeting resonated with broader efforts to repair strained intra-Levantine relationships. Sheikh Tarif, 78, has long served as a bridge figure: a cleric ordained in Lebanon who now leads Israel’s Druze community and maintains pastoral ties with Druze enclaves in Syrian-held territories. His encounter with President Aoun was widely seen as a rare instance of cross-border religious diplomacy, one both sides had hoped would culminate in a formal visit to Beirut. 

By endorsing the Vatican meeting and calling for an apology regarding the subsequent “insulting” statement, the World Maronite Union aims to reaffirm Lebanon’s historic Maronite-Druze solidarity. “We look forward to the day when borders reopen and bring people together, dissolving barriers and fostering cooperation,” the WMU stated in its release, reflecting a sentiment shared by many who hope to see Lebanon emerge from the shadow of foreign occupation and sectarian division. 

As of Tuesday, there was no immediate response from the presidential palace. President Aoun, currently maintaining a period of reduced domestic visibility, has not publicly addressed the Maronite Union’s demands. In Beirut, some Druze community leaders welcomed the Union’s intervention, describing it as “a sincere effort to preserve Lebanon’s pluralistic heritage.” Others, however, warned that political rivalries could undermine any potential reconciliation involving apologies and reciprocal visits. 

For now, the Union’s appeal serves both as a critique of Lebanon’s presidential apparatus and a reminder of the country’s fragile mosaic of confessional alliances. Whether President Aoun will respond with the apology — and formal invitation — sought by Maronite activists remains uncertain.