Vatican Considers Presidential Elections 'Battle of Existence' for Christians

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The Vatican considers the presidential elections in Lebanon as a battle of existence that surpasses the Maronites and focuses on the active Christians role in state posts in the country and the Middle East.

Sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper published on Friday that the Vatican is persuading the United States Administration and world powers to safeguard the presidential polls and avert any vacuum at the helm of Lebanon's most important Christian post.

“The Vatican's endeavors reached advanced levels,” sources told the daily.

The report said that the Vatican's Foreign Minister Archbishop Dominique Mamberti and Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin are personally supervising the endeavors.

The sources revealed that the Vatican obtained pledges by the U.S. and other countries that a “settlement would be reached ahead of the constitutional deadline.”

“The presidency post would be vacant for a period of a month,” the sources added.

President Michel Suleiman's term ends on May 25 amid fears that the rival political parties' disputes will thwart holding the elections for his successor, which will force the extension of his term or plunge the country in presidential vacuum.

On Thursday, Speaker Nabih Berri adjourned a session set to elect a new president until May 22 due to lack of quorum.

Two other sessions were supposed to be held, but they failed over lack of quorum after a March 8 camp boycott on the ongoing disagreement over a candidate.

H.K.

G.K.

Comments 10
Thumb popeye 16 May 2014, 08:45

battle of existence for the christians? Does aoun realize this or he is still upset with the Pope for refusing to see him..

Thumb geha 16 May 2014, 08:48

no, he still says he is the defender of Christian interests :)
and there are stupid followers that still believe him!

Thumb cedar 16 May 2014, 08:49

the Vatican obtained pledges by the U.S. and other countries that a “settlement would be reached ahead of the constitutional deadline.”

NEXT LINE

“The presidency post would be vacant for a period of a month,”

Is someone mentally challenged there. You just said written pledges for agreement before the deadline, and the next line you say there will be a void because the deadline will be passed...

this is shocking reporting

Default-user-icon Kazan (Guest) 16 May 2014, 10:55

The only hope for prosperity is when all Lebanese wills stop thinking we Christians,Muslem,Druz,jews whatever....The sad thing is that the majority of the Lebanese are brought up distrusting and even hating other religions.

Thumb -phoenix1 16 May 2014, 12:38

Since the president is a Christian, a Maronite to be more precise, what is Bkerke doing? Geagea is not acceptable as a candidate by the majority of the Lebanese, Aoun even less so, so why doesn't Bkerke stamp its foot on the ground and name a good candidate like Demianos Kattar and end this charade? Foot stamping works, but we're still waiting and why wait for any longer, the country is going ever more broke with every passing day.

Thumb cedre 16 May 2014, 14:19

Bkirki doesnt count any more, HizbIran proposed u 3 names and u will choose among these 3 : Kahwaji, Obeid and Salameh. And christians will obey what Iran says or they wont have a president and bombings will start again...

Default-user-icon Ramitsu Kashiblan (Guest) 16 May 2014, 15:22

And so Dr. Arreet 7akeh will end this existence for the sake of, for example, the ill-represented underprivileged Druze of Walid Jumblat, among others!!! wlak akh mennak 7a 7ak...awati bou la2a khedou 3a art 7akeh akh

Thumb -phoenix1 16 May 2014, 15:37

Cedre, Bkrike counts today more than ever, but just as the Sunnis have been infiltrated, so are we Christians. Masalan in our case, for as long as old man Aoun lives, so will we remain divided. The Batrak knows this and just like our Sunni siblings know this, everyone has to commit to a balancing act. However take heart, everything that goes up will come down, sooner or later.

Thumb cedre 16 May 2014, 16:00

phoenix, hizb and its goons bring with them demographics and weapons.
What do chritians, sunnis and druze bring ? And by christians i mean real christians, not aoun,frangieh and others...

Nobody denies shias their central role in lebanese politics, but elections should be about ideas debates and not vaccum or bombings threats...

Missing hajjradwan 16 May 2014, 16:28

إن اتفاق الطائف مشكلة لأنه يكرس النظام الطائفي
الماروني ولا إصلاحات، بل زيادة في عدد النواب، وقد أعطيت صلاحيات لمجلس الوزراء وبقي رئيس الجمهورية القائد الأعلى.

حسن نصرالله - النهار 6/11/1989

Nasrallah thinks that Taef gave too mush to the Maronites.