Al-Rahi: Dereliction of Responsibilities Forcing Citizens to Forget Loyalty to Nation
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi lamented on Sunday that the dereliction of the state’s duties and the sectarianism of some politicians are forcing citizens to forget their loyalty to the nation.
“The church is about loyalty to the nation and not the sect,” al-Rahi said in his sermon during the inauguration of the Lady of Assumption church in Bkirki after the end of renovation work.
“But the dereliction of the state’s duties on one side and the sectarian practices of politicians on the other are forcing the citizen to be loyal to his confession rather than the nation,” he said.
Al-Rahi added that such a fact has put sects in a race to appeal to nationals through their services as if they are the state.
“The church reflects plurality that requires a balanced partnership at the level of the management without forgetting anyone and without giving privileges to anyone,” he said.
According to al-Rahi, Lebanon in the East is an example of coexistence on equal terms. As for the West, Lebanon is an example that Islam is a religion of peace, he said.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/23693 |