by DailyStar.com.lb — Joseph Haboush — BEIRUT: Former Maronite Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir was in critical condition late Wednesday, prompting current Patriarch Beshara Rai to cancel a trip to Africa to remain “close” to him, according to a source close to the religious leaders. Sfeir, who would turn 99 next week, was admitted to Hotel Dieu Hospital 10 days ago, having suffered from a chest infection, according to his doctor. Although reports had circulated on the internet and former MP Fares Souaid said Sfeir had passed away, the doctor told reporters outside the hospital late Wednesday that his condition was “delicate but stable,” and that his blood pressure was good and his heart and kidneys were both functioning.

After visiting Sfeir at the hospital in Beirut’s Ashrafieh area, Rai told reporters he regretted that some would hasten to spread the news that the 98-year-old religious leader had died, and called for people to pray for his recovery. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea was among the many politicians who made the trip to Hotel Dieu to check on Sfeir. Several other public figures expressed their concern for his health on social media. Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani tweeted, “May God heal his Beatified Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. He is still receiving treatment, may God prolong him.”

Prime Minister Saad Hariri spoke with Rai on the phone to ask into Sfeir’s health, according to a tweet from the Grand Serail. The former Maronite patriarch was an ardent critic of the Syrian regime, refusing to visit Syria because he did not have the support of the Maronite community. In 2011, he spoke out against a possible visit of Rai to Damascus, describing it as tantamount to Bkirki accepting Syria’s presence in Lebanon. Sfeir has also criticized Hezbollah, saying on multiple occasions that the possibility of war with Israel remains as long as Hezbollah carries out operations that the state should undertake.