Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi pointed out that “the president has followed up on everything that happened in Rome, but the aim of this visit is to put him in the atmosphere of what happened and the value of the meeting called by His Holiness.”

After meeting President Michel Aoun, Rahi said: “I wanted to tell him that the speech of His Holiness the Pope, is a road map for us as heads of churches, and we will start our work within our ecclesiastical framework to implement this map.”

He added: “His Holiness the Pope made called upon many groups, and we, as heads of churches, have to work in the same line, each of his own position, to protect Lebanon.”

Al-Rahi continued: “We will proceed with the concerned parties and made contacts, what is important is that His Holiness carries the Lebanese cause deeply in his heart and carries it to the international community, and we in Lebanon have to build our homeland and our home.”

He added that “no one is more concerned with Lebanon than the president of the republic because of stature.”

“His Holiness the Pope spoke about the pain of the Lebanese and told them to withstand, for the cloud will pass and we will be by their side spiritually, morally and substantially.”Rahi said indicating  that it will not surprise him that there is a plot targeting Lebanon,” so should we open the door or window for the thief, or should we fortify?”

Rahi concluded by  saying that what brought us here is the absence of a government , calling upon the prime minister designate Saad Hariri to hurry in forming a government with Aoun, in accordance with the spirit of the constitution, because Lebanon is falling victim to this delay.”