The Metropolitan of Beirut and its dependencies for the Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elias Odeh presided over a Divine Liturgy in the Saint George Church in the Archdiocese, after the Gospel, he delivered a sermon in which he said: “After we heard last Sunday the gospel about a Pharisee and tax collector, and we learned the importance of humility and witnessed the ugliness of pride, today we hear the gospel about the prodigal son, or The prodigal son, whose father demanded his share of the inheritance, and went to enjoy the pleasures of life, and was hungry because of his distancing from the patriarchal home, and his attachment to the fleeting material and time.

He said, “It is unfortunate and sad that a person is blind to his duty and the will of God. I say this while our country suffers a crisis unparalleled in its history, but those responsible for it ignore the bitter reality and adopt a systematic destruction of the concept of the state, by undermining the culture of democracy in it, disrespecting the constitution, and innovating new foundations that are in line with their interests and meet their aspirations. The people are suffering from a rampant epidemic, unemployment, hunger and destitution, and they are competing for dominance, collecting gains, and sharing the benefits of power. They read us slogans and lectures on fighting corruption, restoring rights and achieving justice. Did they not hear that citizens want to regain their rights from them, and restore power from them, because the Lebanese are full of slogans and promises, and they realize that corruption is not fought with slogans and rhetoric but with deeds, And that the rights of Muslims and the rights of Christians are achieved by giving the Lebanese their rights, returning their money without discrimination between them, and by building a strong and just state that does not distinguish between one citizen and another regardless of his religion, sect, or affiliation. The rights of the Lebanese, Christians and Muslims, are to build a solid economy, implement the necessary reforms in order to save the state, modernize its administration, cleanse it of every exploiter and corrupt, fortify the judiciary, and remove the power of politicians from it. Two weeks ago, we called for an uprising to eliminate politics, so politicians turn against the judiciary and persecute them.

He said: “In the advanced world, officials resign after a catastrophe of the size of the port explosion, or after a mistake, omission, or scandal, or when he is unable to carry out his national duties. don’t you feel burnt because of the the blood of little Alexandra,  young Elias,  blood of the firefighters, blood of the nurses and all the victims of the crazy explosion? Aren’t you embarrassed by the sight of Beirut’s destroyed neighborhood. Don’t you feel hurt from the whining of the Lebanese? For months you have been distracted by your sterile arguments, your demands and your conditions, and the country collapses. Have you lost your humanity? Are not in your chests hearts that beat, feel pain?  Return to your conscience if there is any conscience. Go back on your mistakes. Repent to your Lord.