Cardinal Bchara Boutros Rahi, Maronite Patriarch, affirms that “Lebanon will rise out of the scrub and return to an autonomous, sovereign, free and neutral state.”

“If the ruling party realized Lebanon’s privacy and identity, it’d not have taken the path of corruption,” said Rahi, during Sunday’s mass service.”

The Patriarch saluted the groups that “rebelled against the injustice of the de facto situation and the quota system, because the ruling authority, which was unable to secure the most basic necessities of life, declared its failure on its own.”

He pointed out that “the time has come to rationalize support without touching mandatory reserves of the Central Bank, as the warehouses are full of food and medicine, and the Lebanese people are paying the price.”

“We totally respect friendly countries’ decision not to offer support unless a successful government is established,” Rahi added.

In conclusion, he reiterated the call for the International Conference “to resolve Lebanon’s problems and move towards neutrality under the auspices of the United Nations.”