Lebanon's Maronite Patriarch Rai meets French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Written by Najib

 khazen.org stands by all of the positions of our beloved Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai. We regret that some people address issues superficially in their response to our Patriarch. What is happening worldwide request less confrontation and more dialogue and a better economy. 

Maronite Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rai headed to France on Saturday on his first official visit which is expected to end on September 10. Patriarch Rai, age 71, was elected on the 15th of March 2011 to succeed the 91-year-old Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, who resigned after serving for 25 years as Maronite Patriarch of Antioch.

 

Upon his departure from Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, the patriarch said that the Lebanese army is “the spine of Lebanon.”

 

“The army is our dignity, pride and guarantee, and we are not [supposed] to respond to whomever criticizes the army because [we do not need] to give them importance,” he added. 

 

Patriarch Rai met with French President Sarkozy for more than 50 minutes on Monday, and discussed issues pertaining to the developments in Lebanon and in the Middle East. Rai was quoted saying that “President Sarkozy wants Lebanon and the Arab world to live in peace and democracy and respect human rights,” and also added that “Sarkozy does not wish for any regime that oppresses its people and does not respect their rights to remain in power."

 

More importantly, Patriarch Rai emphasized on the importance of the historical ties between the French and the Maronites and how they were not only in the interest of the Maronites but also in the interest of all Lebanese people.

 

To read more about Patriarch Rai's historical visit to France, check the below links:

 [NowLebanon] [Naharnet] [LebanonFiles