Patriarch Rai: Patriarch Elias al-Houwayek, a Luminous Sign in the History of the Church and the Nation

The Maronite Church and Lebanon wrote a new historical page, by declaring Patriarch Mar Elias Peter al-Houwayek, founder of Greater Lebanon, a blessed, during a solemn celebration held at the patriarchal seat in Diman, in the presence of President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun and the First Lady Mrs. Neemat Aoun, Prime Minister Judge Nawaf Salam and his wife, Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal and his wife, alongside Cardinal Marcello Semeraro representing His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the papal nuncio, patriarchs and bishops, general superiors and general superiors of women, ministers and deputies, military and security commanders, members of the diplomatic corps, and crowds of faithful from Lebanon, the patriarchal region, and countries of the diaspora.

The celebration opened with a liturgical procession, then Bishop Mounir Khairallah presented the petition for the declaration of beatification in the name of the Maronite Church, while Bishop Hanna Alwan presented the spiritual and national biography of the new blessed. After that, Cardinal Semeraro read the beatification decree in Latin, and Mother Marie Antoinette Saadeh read its Arabic translation, before delivering five official copies of it to Patriarch Rai, Bishops Khairallah and Alwan, Mother Saadeh, and Sister Nora Al-Khoury Hanna.

And after thanking His Holiness the Pope, the curtain was unveiled from the official image of the blessed, then his relics entered in a solemn procession carried by Bishop Antoine Charbel Tarabay, Bishop Paul Marwan Tabet, Father Elias Suleiman, and Father Jean Paul Charbel, and were placed on the altar for the Divine Liturgy to begin.

And in his homily, which was titled 'The Glory of Lebanon was Given to Him,' Patriarch Rai presented an integrated spiritual and national reading of the character of al-Houwayek, affirming that the Church does not grant him human glory, but rather recognizes God's work in his life, and his fidelity to the Gospel and his service to man and the homeland.

He pointed out that al-Houwayek's motto 'My God, Your Pleasure' was the program of his life, and that he combined prayer and work, and the holiness of the shepherd and the responsibility of a statesman. He also highlighted his role during the time of famine, when he opened the doors of churches and monasteries to the hungry, and mobilized resources to help the poor, remaining in memory a father to the needy.

The national dimension formed the main axis of the homily, as Rai affirmed that al-Houwayek carried Lebanon's cause to the Peace Conference in Paris, and defended the right of the Lebanese to a free, sovereign, and independent state, and contributed to the establishment of Greater Lebanon. He stressed that he did not seek a homeland for a sect, but a homeland for all its children, based on partnership, justice, and equality.

He paused at his philosophy based on 'harmony in difference,' considering that it remains the basis for the survival of Lebanon, and calling for restoring the spirit of al-Houwayek in times of divisions, and rejecting hegemony and exclusion, and prioritizing the national interest over factional interests.

His Beatitude also addressed the blessed's interest in education and building of the human person, his founding of the Congregation of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family in 1895, his support for schools and institutions, and the expansion of the Maronite Church's presence in Paris, Rome, Jerusalem, Egypt, and countries of the diaspora. He also pointed to his love for the Virgin Mary and his contribution to establishing the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, and to supporting the Maronite path of holiness.

In conclusion of his homily, Rai called on the Lebanese and officials to emulate al-Houwayek in his faith, integrity, and selflessness, affirming that Lebanon needs statesmen who make the human being the axis of national work, and preserve freedom, sovereignty, and coexistence.

The celebration concluded with a solemn procession with the blessed's relics and the blessing of the faithful, in a day that combined the joy of the Church and the memory of the homeland, and reaffirmed that Patriarch al-Houwayek was not only a great pastor, but a founder of an entity and a national mission.