Spiritual Summit to Seek Stability, Discuss Uncontroversial Issues

A spiritual summit that is scheduled to be held in Bkirki on Thursday is expected to focus on uncontroversial issues like coexistence, the national charter, “Lebanon as a message” and the internal situation, without addressing sensitive details, An Nahar newspaper reported.

The daily said on Tuesday that conferees will work on putting the final touches on the “Christian-Islamic Committee for Dialogue.”

The meeting will address developments in the region and their repercussions on Lebanon. It will also tackle the “religious extremism” and the violence against Christians in the region, especially in Iraq and Egypt, urging the “Arab leaders to protect minorities.”

Sources told al-Liwaa newspaper that the concluding statement was finalized and presented to all spiritual leaders to comment on it.

“The statement will not take stances from disputed issues, like the arms or the Special Tribunal for Lebanon,” the sources said, adding that the meeting will focus on urging officials to speed up the cabinet formation and the resumption of the national dialogue.

The summit will be held in the presence of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, the Vice President of the Higher Shiite Islamic Council, Abdul Amir Qabalan, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hassan, Syriac Orthodox Patriarch Zakka I, Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III Laham, Armenian Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I, and Patriarch of Armenian Catholics Nerses Bedros XIX.