Naharnet

Rahi Meets Emir of Qatar, Prays for Peace

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi held a meeting on Monday with Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani during a pastoral visit to the Gulf State.

The patriarch also held a meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani at the Emiri Diwan, the National News Agency reported.

He tackled the latest developments in the region with Chairman of Qatar's Administrative Control and Transparency Authority Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah.

“There are almost 70,000 Lebanese in Doha, and we thank the state of Qatar for welcoming them and allowing them to live in dignity,” al-Rahi said in a sermon at the Church of Our Lady of Rosary, after arriving in Qatar on Sunday.

He urged Qatar, Lebanon and the Middle Eastern countries to seek peace, praying for an “end in violence in all the countries.”

“We pray for God to guide those who have good will to halt war… and for the public good to prevail and people live in tranquility,” al-Rahi added.

The patriarch held a meeting on Sunday with King Abdullah II of Jordan, and praised him for preserving sectarian coexistence in the kingdom.

He said that King Abdullah is keen to avoid violence in the region and encourage dialogue aimed at reaching political settlements.


Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/33079