Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Boutros al-Rahi, celebrated this morning the Easter Mass in Bkirki.

In his sermon, Patriarch al-Rahi called on the Lebanese to adhere to the stand of conscience and to renew recognition of Lebanon as a final homeland, and to translate this recognition into absolute loyalty to the nation and a stable, independent, legitimate and free state.

The Patriarch added: “We have confidence that the Lebanese want to live together in a free and strong country that has its rights and its relations.”

“We have no doubt about Lebanon’s return to life, but what hurts us is that if the country had a rational rule, it would not need to go through calamity and crucifixion to reach the resurrection and life, as was the example of the resurrection in the East,” Rahi continued.

Commenting on the poverty in the country, he asked: “How can we rejoice at Eid and half of the Lebanese are below the poverty line?”.

Al-Rahi concluded by saying: “Easter is the triumph of hope over despair and the transformation of the impossible to possible.”