Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi revealed his intention to visit Damascus on Sunday to take part in the inauguration celebration of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of the Levant and Antioch Youhanna al-Yaziji, the An Nahar daily reported Saturday. Al-Rahi's revelation came following a mass he held in the city of Tripoli on the occasion of Saint Maroun day.

The expected visit of al-Rahi would be the first for a Maronite patriarch since Lebanon's independence in 1943, after the visit carried out by the late Patriarch Antoun Arida during the French mandate. [Link]