Al-Rahi tells those who moved against al-Hajj that 'collaborators' are somewhere else

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday slammed those who "fabricate cases," in reference to the measures that have been taken against Archbishop Moussa al-Hajj.

"What Archbishop Moussa al-Hajj was subjected to has violated the dignity of the church, and authorities' attempt to turn it into a merely legal issue is futile," al-Rahi said in his Sunday Mass sermon.

"It is unacceptable to harrass a bishop without consulting with his authority, which is the patriarchate. We reject these police-state actions that have political motives and we demand that everything confiscated from Archbishop Hajj be returned to him," the patriarch added.

Addressing those whom he said are "insulting Lebanon," al-Rahi said: "Stop saying that the aid is coming from collaborators and search for the collaborators somewhere else, because you know where they are and who they are."