Maronite Patriarch Bechara el-Rai delivered a very important speech on Sunday on the government’s obligations towards the international community and especially regarding the funding of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. 

 

He said during his Sunday sermon: "We warn against failing to respect international obligations and we hold the officials responsible for the dangerous repercussions Lebanon and its people would incur as a result of this failure." He stressed that Lebanon is obligated to respect the tribunal, justice, and the truth.

 

Added to that, he condemned the murder of Myriam Al-Ashquar, who was killed by a Syrian janitor while she was visiting Our Lady of the Annunciation monastery in Baqloush to pray.  Security forces arrested the prime suspect, Syrian janitor Fathi Jabr al-Salatin, who is well-known in the town, where he had been residing over the last year and a half.

 

The patriarch praised the security forces for uncovering the murderer, demanding that arms possession in Lebanon be controlled.

"The security forces should assume their responsibilities, starting with protecting the citizens against the violation of their rights," he stressed.