NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Mar Beshara Botrous Rahi, confirmed that President Aoun’s visit to the Vatican was successful, and the proof is the decision taken by the Pope to visit Lebanon next June.
"We are looking forward to the day when the Pope will come to Lebanon after the date and program of the visit are set" the Patriarch said.
In addition, Patriarch Rahi pointed out that His Holiness the Pope will bring with him a word of hope to Lebanon and assure the Lebanese that after this long night in which they are living, there will be dawn.
Stances of the Maronite Patriarch came while meeting President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, today at Baabda Palace.
The Maronite Diocese of Byblos, Archbishop Michel Aoun, also joined the meeting as head of the executive body of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon and responsible for arranging the Pope's visit to Lebanon at the ecclesiastical level.
During the meeting, preparations for the Pope's visit to Lebanon were discussed, and Patriarch Al-Rahi invited President Aoun to participate in the glorious Easter mass in Bkerke.
Statement:
After the meeting, Patriarch Rahi made the following statement:
"I had the honor with our master Archbishop Michel Aoun, to visit His Excellency the President to congratulate him on his safe return from the Vatican.
President Aoun made a successful visit to the Vatican and the proof is the decision taken by His Holiness to visit Lebanon next June.
The meeting addressed this issue because Archbishop Michel Aoun is the head of the executive body of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Lebanon, in which the various metropolitans from all churches are represented, and is responsible for arranging the visit at the ecclesiastical level.
President Aoun gave directives regarding the arrangements of the National Committee in the Presidential Palace.
I also briefed President Aoun on my meetings in Egypt and conveyed to him the greetings of the Egyptian President and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed AboulGheit, who bear Lebanon's concern.
The Egyptian President thanked us for opening Egypt's doors to the Lebanese and Lebanese companies in this difficult circumstance, as well as for opening the Egyptian markets for Lebanese apples.
I had the honor to extend an invitation to President Aoun to celebrate Easter together, especially since he is keen to preserve this tradition on Christmas and Easter, and that we celebrate with him in Bkerke.
The meeting also tackled several topics, and we are all looking forward to next June and to the day when His Holiness will come to Lebanon after the date and program of this visit are determined. This is what is currently being working on in the Papal Embassy in coordination with Bishop Michel Aoun and in the National Committee in the Presidential Palace”.
Questions & Answers:
Question: What message does His Holiness the Pope want to convey through his visit to Lebanon?
Answer: "I think that His Holiness the Pope will carry a word of hope to say to the Lebanese that you live a long night at all levels, but after this long night there will be dawn. He will talk about the value of Lebanon, its role, its advantages in living together and its pluralism, its democracy and the difficulties it is going through today on different levels, economic, social and financial. He will have a word of hope”.
Question: During your meeting with His Excellency the President, did you discuss the issue of the judiciary? Especially since you constantly talk about a politicized judiciary? Do you see violations in the practices of some judges?
Answer: “In fact, there was no room for discussing this topic. The discussion was mainly limited to the three topics that I referred to, and we did not touch on current Lebanese issues”.
Question: Do you see violations in the practices of some judges?
Answer: "We did not actually mention the judiciary, and there was no room for that. Talking about preparing for the Pope's visit to Lebanon took a large part of the meeting”.
Question: Yesterday, an initial agreement with the International Monetary Fund was announced in conjunction with the talk about the return of the ambassadors of the Gulf Cooperation Council to Lebanon, so how do you view this return?
Answer: "This agreement and the return of ambassadors complement each other. We discussed this issue during the meeting with His Excellency the President, and I clarified some points about the agreement with the IMF.
President Aoun indicated that it was agreed on all stages, as well as on the reform plan, explaining that everything is ready, and it is possible for us to immediately start implementing the agreement. The Cabinet should take the initiative to submit draft laws to the Parliament, as Speaker Berri announced that Parliament is ready to start doing what is required of it in this context. The agreement does not stop after the parliamentary elections are held under a caretaker government, there is a continuation of the authority's work, and decisions on this matter have been taken before the elections are held, and work must be continued.
The countries of this council always express their willingness to stand by Lebanon and help it, so there is no contradiction but rather complementarity”.
Question: You always talk about the necessity of mass voting in parliamentary elections. Are you afraid of something in the event that there is no mass polling?
Answer: "We call on the Lebanese to vote, because it is not enough to demand change, as you do not have the right to say that you do not have confidence in anyone. Voting is a constitutional duty, and if you really want change, you must go to the polls and choose people you give your confidence in. It is not enough to say that there is no confidence in anyone. Not everyone can be considered bad, and choose the people who you think will be able to make change in Lebanon, and the people who respond to your cries. We basically blessed the revolution when it started. Why? Because it crossed sects and regions and started spontaneously. And we always said to the revolutionaries, "Continue your path, but know what you want. Prepare the elites among you and stop burning tires and blocking roads. We always call on the Lebanese to vote heavily, for it is in the ballot boxes that change begins”.
Question: The visit of His Holiness the Pope to Lebanon imposes the existence of national unity and national reconciliation? Will you work during the period between the visit to reduce the tension that we see now?
Answer: "This matter does not happen by magic. It requires intensive work. Unfortunately, its intensity has increased with the approaching elections, which should witness competition in programs instead of insults and insults. Today, this matter has become very far. We ask what is the meaning of national unity? We demand national unity, not because we differ on the vision. Do you think we all have loyalty to Lebanon? To the state and its institutions? The Lebanese say, and the Christians in particular, that they are divided. And I say to them: Are they divided ideologically? No, but they are divided because there is something abnormal about loyalty to Lebanon. I personally criticized naming the government a national unity government, as it cannot be called national unity when opposites and antagonists sit together. National unity is formed when understanding and reconciliation takes place on national affairs, while they call them controversial points. I repeat the call to the Lebanese officials that in the event that they are unable to sit at a table to resolve matters, then an international conference must take place, as happened in Taif and others. There can be no national unity if everyone participates in the government.
First, we have to come to an understanding on what they call points of disagreement and know what these points are. The doctor must first diagnose the patient with his disease. The Lebanese do not want to sit at a table to diagnose the problem. And I think that the Pope will have a strong speech on this matter, as in the Vatican they grieve for Lebanon and its divided people, but rather for its divided politicians”.
Swearing an oath for a member of the Election Supervisory Board:
The newly appointed member of the Election Supervision Commission, Dr. Nassim Shafik El-Khoury, took the oath before President Aoun, in the presence of the Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Judge Bassam Mawlawi, and the Commission’s head, Judge Nadim Abdel-Malik.
Dr. El-Khoury repeated the following oath: “I swear by God Almighty to do my job in the commission supervising the elections in all honesty, impartiality, sincerity and independence. I am keen to abide absolutely by the laws and regulations, especially those that sponsor the elections in order to ensure their freedom, integrity and transparency.
For his part, President Aoun wished Dr. El-Khoury success in his mission, stressing the importance of the role played by the Election Supervision Commission in keeping pace with the path of parliamentary elections, in accordance with the tasks entrusted to it under the election law.
During the meeting, Minister Mawlawi and Judge Abdul Malik presented what the commission has done so far in preparation for the elections and the difficulties it is facing, which require granting it additional powers that make its role more effective to ensure integrity and transparency.
Signing Decree No. 9022:
The President signed Decree No. 9022 on April 8, 2022, to give a treasury advance to pay temporary social assistance to all workers in public administrations, regardless of their job titles, and retirees who benefit from a retirement pension, and the possibility of giving a treasury advance to beneficiaries of the provisions of Decree No. 8838 dated 22/2/2022.
The value of the treasury advance amounts to 4860 billion Lebanese pounds, and it includes workers in the operating departments, whatever their job titles: public authorities, employees, contractors, workers, military and security agencies, judges, daily wage workers, invoice workers, technical service providers, the educational corps of various stages and types: Primary, intermediate, secondary, vocational and technical education, in addition to retirees who benefit from a retirement pension. -- Presidency Press Office
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