BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir responded on Thursday to what he described as former Minister Suleiman Franjieh's "misplaced" verbal attack on a bishop. Sfeir said he regretted Franjieh's comments and wished the former MP had not made them.

"We know that ... Franjieh is the son of the Maronite Church and a citizen of Zghorta, and that he is concerned about the Maronite Church, its children and its respect, so when he attacks a bishop I believe the attack is misplaced," Sfeir said. The prelate's response came ahead of his departure on a visit to the United States expected to last at least 20 days. During his visit Sfeir is expected to participate in a commemoration of the Maronite Church's founding in the US 40 years ago.

While the patriarch noted the importance of resolving the issue before it escalated, he stated unequivocally that "a bishop must be respected." On Wednesday, Franjieh accused Bishop Youssef Beshara of having sided with MP Saad Hariri, the leader of the parliamentary majority.

Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church to Make Historic Stop in the Greater Boston Area July 12-14, His Beatitude and Eminence Nasrallah Peter Cardinal Sfeir to Visit St. Anthony's Maronite Church in Lawrence Considered 'Bridge' Between Muslim Community and Christians and the West

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, At a meeting with religious leaders Saturday, Lebanese Cardinal Nasrallah Peter Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, stressed the need for people of all faiths to help quell global conflict that is often rooted in religious difference."Each of us has a responsibility to look after each other," he said. "We can co-exist in harmony and respect for each other if we keep love in our hearts."

Sfeir spoke to roughly two dozen leaders of various St. Louis faith groups - Mormons, Muslims, Quakers, Roman Catholics - at an interfaith event at St. Raymond's Maronite Catholic Parish, 931 Lebanon Drive, St. Louis. Sfeir is in St. Louis for a four-day pastoral visit. He will also be stopping in Chicago and New York City.
During his time in St. Louis, Sfeir's main message was one of hope and peace. At Saturday's interfaith event, Ghazala Hayat, president of the Interfaith Partnership of Metropolitan St. Louis, asked Sfeir if it was possible to have peace in the Middle East.

"When politics intervenes, it is sometimes hard to see people living together," said Sfeir. "But religion has no material interest. Religion has only God, and if we all pray to God as one, all humanity will be together as brothers."The patriarch is one of the most significant religious figures to visit St. Louis since Pope John Paul II came to the city in 1999.The Maronite Church, an ancient Eastern Rite branch of Catholicism, is based in Lebanon. St. Raymond's, in St. Louis' LaSalle Park neighborhood, is the seat of one of two eparchies, or dioceses, of the Maronite Church in the U.S. Sfeir lives in Bkerke, north of Beirut.

History

A Quick Note about the Khazen Family (An Introduction)

Written by Late Patriarch Boulos Massad, an Intellectual and Patriotic Man

Having we have seen that the Khazens were a main factor for Christians to be able to go back home in Keserwan, we decided to type this historical fact to keep it proven.

In summer 1922, we were able to trace in Saint Isaiah Abbey's library (Which belonged to the Anthony fathers) literature written by patriarch Boulos Massad, titled: "Short enlightenment on origins of the honorable family, El Khazen". This literature was part of a book named 'Al Dor Al Manthoum'. They were 10 pages from 301 - 310 and the manuscript was clearly and beautifully written. The man who was responsible for copying this brief note was Boulos Barhoush, a priest from Sahel Alman. He probably started copying this history before Massad was appointed  a patriarch on 12 November 1854 and finished it on 22 March 1855, three months later as mentioned in last pages of the book.

"Al Dor Al Manthoum" was printed in Tamish Abbey in 1863 but this summary and other summaries written by the patriarch himself were not. We will add to this information, more information which we have discovered about Emir Fakhr Al Din and Cheikhs Abi Nader and Abi Nawfal, two brave heroic men who dominated this history indeed. This will fill the gap.

The crown Khazen family was born by the Maronite Chediak Sarkis El Khazen. This glorified personality lived in a village called Jaj in Mount Lebanon but following unknown circumstances and as time went on, he left his home in 1545 and moved with his family to another village called El Dar near to Keserwan but after some time, he moved again to another village called Ballouna in Ajaltoun, Keserwan. There he settled down with his children Abi Sakr Ibrahim and Abi Safi Rabah.