Leader of Armenian Catholic Church dies at age 86

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by catholicnewsagency.com -- Catholicos-Patriarch Gregory Peter XX Gabroyan, leader of the Armenian Catholic Church, died on Tuesday at the age of 86. He died May 25 in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, the seat of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate of Cilicia. Among those paying tribute to the leader who had guided the Armenian Catholic Church since 2015 was Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Oriental Churches. Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian praised the Catholicos-Patriarch’s efforts to strengthen Armenian identity. “This is an extremely great loss for Armenian and all Armenians around the world because the Armenian people lost a loyal servant of the Armenian Catholic Church, a prominent and patriotic son of the nation who served the Church and the people with great dedication, endless vigor and faith,” he said. “The Catholicos-Patriarch made significant efforts for preservation of the Armenian identity and the development of the comprehensive relations between Armenia and the Diaspora. His contributions to the deepening and expansion of inter-church relations are also invaluable.”

The Armenian Catholic Church is one of 23 autonomous Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the pope. It is the fifth-largest, with around 750,000 members based in Armenia and around the world. The Catholicos-Patriarch was born in Aleppo, Syria, on Nov. 15, 1934, the sixth of 12 children. His parents had fled to Aleppo from Turkey, the site of the Armenian genocide in 1915–1917. The family settled in Lebanon in 1938. Discerning a call to the priesthood, he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, while staying at the Pontifical Armenian College. He was ordained on March 28, 1959, as a priest of the Patriarchal Congregation of Bzommar, an Armenian Catholic religious congregation of priests founded in 1750. He was appointed Apostolic Exarch of France in 1977, then Bishop of the Eparchy of Sainte-Croix-de-Paris in 1986, retiring from the post in 2013, at the age of 78. He was elected Patriarch of Cilicia on July 24, 2015, and confirmed in the post a day later by Pope Francis. His funeral Mass will be held on May 29 at the Cathedral of St. Elias and St. Gregory the Illuminator in Beirut. His successor must be chosen within 40 days, according to Asia News, the press agency of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.

Climate change, economic crisis take heavy toll on Lebanon's honey industry

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BEIRUT,  (Xinhua) -- Majed Halabi, who owns 120 beehives in a rich citrus orchard in Lebanon's southern town of Hasbaya, has seen a worrying decline in his honey production from 12 kg to fewer than seven kg per beehive during a regular honey season. Climate change and economic crisis in Lebanon, in the eyes of the 40-year-old beekeeper, are the top causes of such a sharp decline. "The weather turns from severe cold in winter to high heat in summer, hitting hives and exposing bees to death," Halabi told Xinhua. The economic crisis that affects the honey season in Lebanon involves mainly the high cost of maintaining beehives, according to Halabi. In addition, the pesticides used by farmers against weeds kill the bees and turn fresh green pastures into dry barren lands. Experts in the honey industry told Xinhua that the Lebanese authorities haven't given much attention to the industry over the past years, urging support for beekeepers in different ways given the environmental importance of the industry and its role in creating job opportunities for rural residents.

According to the Lebanese Agriculture Ministry, the honey industry in the country hosts 10,000 beekeepers who own 300,000 beehives and produce 2,000 tons of honey annually. Jalal Mansour, head of the Environmental Association for the Protection of Bees in Western Bekaa in Lebanon, told Xinhua that the authorities must hold a series of seminars that invite specialists to expound on the important role of bees in maintaining a balanced healthy environment and improving food security by pollinating crops. Tariq Abou Faour, head of the Cooperative Society for Bee Care in Khalwat in southern Lebanon, agreed that the beekeeping in Lebanon has been largely neglected by the authorities and is supported only by non-governmental initiatives such as those of the beekeepers cooperatives across the country. Ghaith Maalouf, a local agricultural engineer, called on local and international organizations to help compensate for beekeepers' losses suffered from natural disasters by providing the necessary equipment for sorting and preserving honey and medicines for bees' diseases, and promoting the use of biological pest control instead of chemical pesticides.

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Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun in France for support

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by reuters -- Sources said the Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun had today, Wednesday, in France warned that die Economic crisis die Army on the verge of collapse and that Paris offered to provide urgent food and medical aid to the armed forces in the hope of maintaining law and order. France, that die Led relief efforts to Lebanon, tried to put pressure on rival Lebanese politicians die have not yet agreed to form a new government and carry out reforms, die would provide foreign financial aid to their country. Dissatisfaction among the Lebanese security forces is growing over the currency collapse, the die ruined most of their salaries.

In unusual statements in March, Aoun said his warnings to Lebanese officials that it could lead to an internal collapse fell on deaf ears. According to three sources, die with his visit in Paris were familiar, Aoun told senior French officials that die The situation is fragile and unsustainable. A source, die familiar with the meetings held today, including a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, said: “We are concerned about that die Lebanese army is the backbone of the country. “Two sources said France would provide food and medical supplies to the military, their salaries in have fallen sharply recently, leading many of them to take on additional jobs. A source said France was working to organize a conference in June to provide International community support to help the lebanese army. The Lebanese pound has lost 90 percent of its value since the end of 2019. This is a financial crisis die die greatest threat to die Represents stability of Lebanon since the civil war from 1975 to 1990.

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Lebanon launches ‘vaccine marathon’ to fight Astrazeneca rumors

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By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Ministry of Health will launch a “vaccination marathon” next Saturday for people aged over 30 to receive Astrazeneca jabs in health centers across the country. In an effort to promote mass vaccination, Lebanese authorities will declare the province where the largest number of people receive vaccinations as the winner of the marathon. A significant number of Lebanese citizens have refused to receive vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, despite receiving text messages outlining appointment dates. It comes after viral news circulated that purported to show dangerous side effects of the vaccine, including risks of stroke and death. Reports said that a man died three days after receiving an AstraZeneca vaccine. However, Hamad Hasan, Lebanon’s health minister, said that an investigation into the case “is still underway.” Another eight other people were also reported dead after receiving the vaccine, but “whether their deaths were linked to the vaccine” is another question, Hasan added.

A health ministry study estimated that herd immunity reached 42 percent among Lebanese citizens and about 47 percent among Palestinian refugees in the country. “This means that the herd immunity rate is rising to 50 percent, and is expected to reach about 75 percent in August, with large quantities of vaccines expected to be delivered,” said Hasan. Lebanon is due to receive 2 million vaccines in June and July. Dr. Abdul Rahman Bizri, head of the National Committee for the Administration of the Coronavirus Vaccine, told Arab News: “A high percentage of those registered to take the vaccine refrained from taking AstraZeneca. As part of our initiatives to encourage people to get vaccinated, we organized an open day enabling citizens to receive the vaccine without booking an appointment.” Bizri said that a new Lebanese study showed an improved presence of antibodies among the population, but that total immunity had not yet been achieved. “The result should not make us feel reassured, as we need to continue to abide by the precautionary measures,” he added. He said: “Lebanon is buying vaccines from the state treasury and will give priority to Pfizer vaccines.”

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President Michel Sleiman: إستراتيجية دفاعية تحمي الوطن، متلازماً مع حوار هادئ

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رغم اهمية وعظمة تحرير الجنوب من الاحتلال الاسرائيلي الذي حققته المقاومة عام ٢٠٠٠ في مثل هذا اليوم، فان اهدافه الوطنية لم تستكمل بنشر الجيش في البقعة المحررة بسبب عدم سماح القرار السياسي بذلك الى حين انتشاره بعد حرب تموز ٢٠٠٦ التي دمرت قرى وبنى تحتية حيوية لبنانية في الجنوب وعلى امتداد مساحة الوطن. وبالتالي لم يحصر السلاح بيد الجيش عبر استراتيجية دفاعية تمهد لذلك وتضع الخطط التنفيذية لهذه العملية وتحييد لبنان عن الصراعات كما ورد في خطاب القسم بتاريخ ٢٥ ايار ٢٠٠٨ والذي نص على  التالي :

" إستراتيجية دفاعية تحمي الوطن، متلازماً مع حوار هادئ، للاستفادة من طاقات المقاومة، خدمة لهذه الإستراتيجية. فلا تستهلك انجازاتها ( المقاومة ) في صراعات داخلية، ونحفظ بالتالي قيمها وموقعها الوطني"
 و للاسف حتى الان لا حوار حول هذه الاستراتيجية التي وضع تصور لها على طاولة هيئة الحوار الوطني عام ٢٠١٢ بعد ان رسم اعلان بعبدا الاطار العام لها   (تحييد لبنان)

Lebanese parties reject the return to ‘militia behavior’ amid anger over pro-Assad rallies

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By Najia Houssari - arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Lebanese political parties have reacted strongly to a Beirut demonstration on Sunday by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), with the speaker of the Lebanese parliament reiterating the need for a national government on Monday. Chants by SSNP members were “a return to the language of the civil war,” the parties said. The demonstration, authorized by the Ministry of Interior, took place in light of a complex and deadly political stalemate. It also came after four days of raising pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad, with Syrian workers and refugees, who were cheering Assad, being attacked by some Lebanese citizens. The SSNP demonstration came within the framework of the commemoration of the liberation of southern Lebanon from the Israeli occupation. At the forefront of the celebrating parties was Hezbollah, whose supporters spread in the border areas.

Those groups waved Lebanese and Hezbollah flags, and drove their cars and motorbikes to smash an iron gate bearing an Israeli symbol before travelling to the town of Naqoura. The speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, warned on Monday that “creating crises on purpose, if it continues without a quick initiative to address them, will topple Lebanon.” Berri called on “the loyalists and the opposition to feel the danger of the fateful stage.” He urged political forces and NGOs “to liberate Lebanon from the complex of choosing personal interests over the interests of the homeland by some people, and recognize that our governmental problem is 100 percent internal.” Berri said: “The only solution is to form a national government, without preconditions, with non-partisan competencies, no obstructing third for anyone, according to the French initiative, and its only program of action should be to restore the confidence of the Lebanese and the Arab brothers in Lebanon.”

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