ASIA/LEBANON - Maronite Patriarch: Islamist atrocities require more collaboration between Christians and Muslims

Bkerké (Agenzia Fides) - Faced with the inhuman ferocity of those who behead innocent people under the insulting invocation of the name of God, it is urgently necessary to avoid the climate of "conflict between religions" and to take the path of collaboration between Christians and Muslims, which took a decisive step with the "Document on Human Fraternity" signed in 2019 in Abu Dhabi by Pope Francis and Sheikh Ahmad al Tayyieb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar. This is the emphasized by Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, during the homily delivered at the concluding Mass of the annual Synod of the Maronite Church, celebrated today, Saturday 31 October, in the Patriarchate of Bkerké.
In his homily, the Patriarch referred to the bloody Islamist attacks in recent weeks in France, with the beheading of a teacher on October 16 in Paris and the massacre of three people on October 29 at the Cathedral of Notre Dame de l'Assompion in Nice. For these actions - the Patriarch stressed - "there is no human or religious justification", and represent "a grave offense against God, Lord of life and death".
During the homily, Patriarch Bechara Rai also spoke at length about the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East and expressed concern about "global and regional interference" affecting the entire area without the will of the peoples of the Middle East.
Regarding the Lebanese situation, the Cardinal also expressed his hope for the prompt formation of a new government (the mandate was entrusted to the Sunni Saad Hariri, ed), who really knows how to "listen to the cry of the mothers, fathers and children" of Lebanon, in a country where half the population lives below the poverty line. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 31/10/2020)

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oriental churches

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islam

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jihadists

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dialogue

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