Maronite patriarch fears effect of Syrian conflict on Lebanon

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend

Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai of Antioch, head of the Maronite Church, spoke during Mass last fall at St. Raymond Maronite Cathedral in St. Louis during a visit to the United States. The patriarch recently warned of the dangers of armed conflict in Syria.

ANTIOCH, Turkey -- Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai of Antioch, the head of the Maronite Church, has warned that the armed conflict in Syria is affecting neighboring Lebanon and could trigger a major conflict in the country.

"The civil war in Syria between the Sunni majority and the Alawite minority has already begun to have an impact on the Sunnis and Alawites in north Lebanon, in Tripoli and Akkar," the patriarch said last week, speaking to Aid to the Church in Need, an international Catholic charity that has provided emergency aid for victims of the Syrian conflict.

The patriarch leads the Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with Rome. In October 2011 he visited St. Louis, headquarters of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, one of two eparchies (dioceses) in the United States, and St. Raymond's Maronite Cathedral.

Patriarch Rai told Aid to the Church in Need officials that the Lebanese are split into "supporters of the Assad regime and supporters of the opposition," he said. The ongoing political conflict between Lebanon's anti-Assad Sunnis and the pro-Assad Shiites will "become more pronounced due to the events in Syria."

In response, he urged Lebanese Christians to become "more united" and meet their responsibilities.

"After all, based on their culture and mental attitude they always strive for peace, progress and the values of modernity. They love peace and fight for justice," he said. "They are willing to live together and cooperate with Muslims, without prejudices and ulterior motives."

For 17 months, rebels opposed to the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad have battled government forces in a conflict that has left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless.

The Assad government is predominantly Alawite, an offshoot of Islam distinct from the Shiite and Sunni branches. The government is an ally of Iran and has the backing of the Iran-linked militant group Hezbollah.

Some rebel factions have targeted Christians, bombed churches and driven them from their homes, under the reasoning that they are likely Assad supporters.

The possible deterioration of peace in Lebanon has prompted the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain to recommend that their nationals in Lebanon leave the country.

Kuwait's Foreign Ministry also issued a similar warning "in anticipation of a spill-over from the Syrian Crisis."

The patriarch said that Maronite Catholics in Syria are not being spared the violence of the conflict, but there are no direct attacks on them because "they are respected and do not interfere in politics."

Patriarch Rai said that the rise of Islamist action will "absolutely not" end the Christian presence in the Middle East because most Muslims respect Christian contributions to society.

The patriarch said he expects Pope Benedict XVI to address relations with Muslims and other faiths in September during his visit to Lebanon.