The Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, addressed Sunday mass to the youth of Lebanon, saying, “Express your will in the upcoming parliamentary elections.”

Rahi called for the judiciary to be independent: “In accordance with the principle of separation of powers, we defend its autonomy. No one is more powerful than the legal system and the judiciary.”

“I am heartbroken over what happened last Thursday, and we condemn these events and the use of weapons among the brothers of the one nation. We support the role of the Lebanese army, which has demonstrated that the legitimate institution is stronger than any other force.”