[ad_1]
BEIRUT: Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi has expressed the church’s growing dismay over the arrest of a senior Lebanese Maronite spiritual chief.
The transfer “purposely constitutes an assault on the Maronite Patriarchate and its powers,“ Al-Rahi informed a crowd of protesters gathered within the church’s courtyard on the patriarch’s place of residence in Dimane on Sunday.
Bishop Musa Al-Hajj, archbishop of the Maronite archdiocese of Haifa and the patriarchal vicar for Jerusalem, the Palestinian territories and the territories of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, was arrested on the Al-Naqoura crossing between Lebanon and Israel after a go to to his parish within the holy territories.
Bishop Al-Hajj confronted a protracted interrogation by the overall safety service pursuant to a judicial determination.
The medicines, support and sum of cash he obtained from Lebanese who fled to Israel 22 years in the past to ship them to their households in Lebanon have been seized.
He was additionally topic to a journey ban and was referred to the navy courtroom.
Al-Rahi affirmed that “what bishop Musa Al-Hajj confronted violated the dignity of the church.”
Al-Rahi stated that it was not permitted to prosecute a bishop with out referring to his authority, which is the Patriarchate.
“We reject these actions with political implications and we demand that the bishop’s seized belongings, together with his passport, cell phone, the help, cash and medicines, be returned to him, as Lebanese within the holy occupied lands entrusted him to ship this support to their households in Lebanon from all sects,” he stated.
“That’s what the Maronite bishops used to do for years up to now and what he ought to proceed doing sooner or later.”
Addressing these “harming Lebanon,” Al-Rahi additionally stated: “Cease saying that the help was coming from brokers and search for these brokers elsewhere. You realize the place they’re and who they’re.”
Al-Rahi stated that Bishop Al-Hajj “maintains the Christian, Palestinian and Arab presence inside Israel and deserves to be praised and supported as an alternative of attacking his dignity and honorable message.”
He additionally stated that the Maronite presence in Palestine dated again to the early instances of the emergence of the individuals of Saint Maroun.
Maronites have performed an necessary function there that’s praised by these from different sects, Al-Rahi stated.
“The dominant ruling social gathering is attempting in useless to show the political assault concentrating on Bishop Al-Hajj and violating the dignity of the church and its representatives right into a mere baseless judicial matter with a view to disguise their guilt and add unconvincing explanations and interpretations,” he stated,
“If there’s a regulation that prohibits anybody from bringing humanitarian support into the nation, allow them to present it to us.”
“It’s about time we alter the fact full of hatred and hostility.”
Al-Rai stated that Lebanon “can’t be constructed, progress and unify by way of this strategy that doesn’t mirror the values of its individuals and historical past.”
“Those that implement these insurance policies and make up these information ought to study from their predecessors and the experiences that show that unhealthy individuals can’t be a part of Lebanon’s honorable historical past.”
In his sermon, the Maronite patriarch known as for “the formation of a brand new authorities as quickly as attainable and the election of a brand new president inside the constitutional deadlines.”
A convincing spherical of applause was heard within the church’s corridor when the patriarch talked of the need of electing a brand new president, and when he stated: “Go and search for these brokers elsewhere. You realize the place they’re and who they’re.”
Al-Rahi stated that the legal guidelines stipulated that no bishop or priest must be prosecuted with out the patriarch’s permission. “What occurred constitutes an assault on and an insult to the Maronite Patriarchate and me personally.”
Former Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar argued that “Lebanon has already signed Code 1060 issued by the Japanese Church buildings, stipulating that solely the Roman pontiff has the precise to prosecute bishops in prison circumstances. Due to this fact, no civilian or navy authority has the precise to prosecute any bishop in prison circumstances.”
What additional enraged the Christian neighborhood and prompted the Maronite patriarch’s heightened protest was Hezbollah’s assertion on Saturday delivered by the pinnacle of his parliamentary bloc, Mohammed Raad.
He stated: “Colluding with the enemy is nationwide treason and a criminal offense. An agent doesn’t signify his sect. However when the agent is punished, he turns into a consultant of all the sect that comes collectively to defend him. What is that this ambivalence?”
Commenting on Al-Rahi’s remarks, MP Nadim Gemayel stated: “It appears to be like like colluding with the enemy grew to become a standpoint. Doesn’t it additionally apply to those that publicly specific their devotion to Iran and drag Lebanon into conflicts that solely serve the Iranian mission?”
“Doesn’t it apply to those that smuggled flour and diesel to Syria?”
Patriarch Al-Rahi maintains Lebanon’s neutrality, an idea rejected by Hezbollah and its allies.
The incident of Al-Hajj’s detention reached its peak after Al-Rahi careworn Lebanon’s want for a impartial president.
A supply within the Maronite Patriarchate stated that the message was obtained after the detention and interrogation of Bishop Al-Hajj.
Nonetheless, in a press release issued by its bishops, the Patriarchate stated that it has two calls for — the return of the confiscated gadgets to Bishop Al-Hajj and the dismissal of the interim authorities commissioner of the navy courtroom, Fadi Akiki, on whose orders bishop Al-Hajj was interrogated.
Akiki is near Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah’s ally.
The variety of Lebanese who fled to Israel in 2000 throughout its occupation of southern Lebanon is estimated at 6,000 people.
Dozens of them returned to Lebanon within the following years after being tried, whereas tons of of them moved to the US and European international locations the place they now reside.
About 3,000 Lebanese residents remained in Israel.
The Christian protest was not restricted to the Maronite church.
“Any prison, thief and lawbreaker must be held accountable and punished. Nonetheless, what occurred with Bishop Al-Hajj is unacceptable and exhibits that there’s a new safety and judicial strategy resulting in severe repercussions nationwide,“ Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Archbishop Elias Aoude of Beirut stated in his Sunday sermon.
“It is a harmful and unacceptable factor and we hope it gained’t occur once more.”
Aoude stated that if Bishop Al-Hajj’s detention was a “message to the church to silence it, then we are saying that the church can’t be intimidated. It solely fears its God, and listens to the voice of conscience and responsibility.”
[ad_2]
Source link
