High-Ceiling Positions of the Maronite Bishops: These Produced the Occupation.. and Yes to Sustainable Peace

The Council of Maronite Bishops affirmed "the importance of approaching negotiation tracks with Israel under Arab and international sponsorship in what serves Lebanon's supreme interest," noting that "the alternatives tried over decades produced occupation instead of liberation and reliance on external powers instead of sovereignty."

The Maronite Bishops stressed, in a statement after their monthly meeting, that "the return to the 1949 Armistice Agreement constitutes a fundamental milestone that can be built upon in this track, with the necessity of completing it towards sustainable peace, provided that the peace track is accompanied by the consolidation of Lebanon's neutrality."

The Maronite Bishops pointed out that "in light of what Lebanon is going through in a precise, fateful historical era where internal challenges intersect with unprecedented regional and international transformations, and in harmony with the position of President Joseph Aoun, the guardian of the constitution, on April 17, 2026, and the recent Cabinet decisions setting the state's public policies under the chairmanship of Nawaf Salam, Lebanon is not merely a temporary political entity but a message of human and civilizational presence based on freedom, pluralism, and coexistence."

They saw that "the current stage necessitates that the Lebanese state institutions assume their full sovereign responsibilities without any ambiguity or duality, and that citizen trust in the state be strengthened through activating accountability and oversight mechanisms," stressing that "the Lebanese entity is a final entity for all its sons, based not on dominance but on actual partnership, not on temporary alignments but on unified living, and protecting this entity requires fortifying it from all forms of slipping into conflicts other than its own from any side whatsoever, defending its land from any aggression, and returning it to its natural position as an oasis of encounter between East and West."

The Maronite Bishops noted that "the Lebanese Constitution and the National Pact are the regulatory framework for national life and the sole reference for organizing powers and relations among them, and the full and non-selective implementation of the National Accord Document is the main gateway to building the inclusive state," stressing that "Lebanon is called to restore its role as a space for dialogue and civilizational interaction away from the logic of open arenas and armed conflicts in the region, and this role cannot be achieved except through a strong, sovereign state capable of managing its external relations according to supreme national interests."

They added: "The moment we are living is historic and pivotal, and we call for bold and responsible national positions that stem from Lebanon's supreme interest and national security and put an end to the state of hesitation, incomplete and temporary settlements," renewing "support for the efforts being made by President Aoun, the government, and the Parliament to stop the war, recover every inch of Lebanese territory, rebuild, and return displaced persons, prisoners, and deportees to Israel," affirming that "the priorities of the people are living with dignity and reassurance at home, school, work, and everywhere, not armed conflicts."

The Maronite Bishops considered in their statement that "the blatant media campaigns and the language of treason and threats serve only Lebanon's enemies," sending "a tribute of reverence and glorification to the sacrifices of the martyrs for the sake of Lebanon's survival as a free, sovereign, pluralistic, and independent homeland and state with no partner in loyalty."