Amid the ongoing military escalation in Lebanon, and as part of the Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi's efforts on multiple local and international fronts to restore peace in the country, the Maronite bishops raised their voices.
The bishops called on "the international community to bear its responsibilities by immediately working to implement a ceasefire and enforce international resolutions, particularly Resolution 1701, relieving the country and its people from the burdens of regional and international tensions that tether them to interests unrelated to them."
During their monthly meeting in Bkerke today, the bishops expressed their "shock and profound sorrow at the magnitude of the disaster that has befallen Lebanon due to the violation of its territories in the south, coast, mountains, and Bekaa Valley, and this relentless torrent of killing, destruction, and devastation that often targets innocent civilians."
They condemned the "persistent Israeli aggression that has resulted in hundreds of martyrs and victims," stressing the urgent need for the parliamentary council to assume its national duty after a long wait and much suffering so that a new president of the republic can be elected, completing the structure of constitutional institutions.
The statement from the meeting added, "Lebanon is facing existential challenges that it must confront with genuine national solidarity and strict adherence to its constitutional and charter texts, which have protected it from collapse in times of crisis and made its free, consensual decision a source of salvation."
The bishops praised "the readiness and efforts made by official bodies and the medical sector to receive displaced persons and treat the injured despite the dire economic conditions." They also commended the spontaneous and sincere support from the local communities that welcomed the displaced away from the machinery of death. They urged "countries and international institutions to support these official and popular efforts working to mitigate the effects of displacement until the safe and dignified return is achieved."
They expressed "satisfaction with the honorable national stance taken by the military leadership through field measures aimed at preventing any potential chaos due to the delicate exceptional circumstances the country is undergoing." The statement continued, "In light of the tragedy gripping Lebanon, the bishops call on all Lebanese to awaken their consciences, increasing their unity and desire for salvation by rallying around their one state and managing their affairs in a manner that elevates them to the level of pure patriotism, which views Lebanon as an irreplaceable homeland, and they have a duty to preserve its role and message and to act accordingly."
The statement concluded: "In this month dedicated to honoring the Virgin Mary, Lady of the Rosary, the bishops appeal to their sons and daughters and those of good will among the Lebanese to intensify their prayers for Lebanon to emerge from its growing crisis and for its safe, dignified, and free presence to return to both the Eastern and global arenas."