Rai: No Party Stronger Than the State, No Sect Greater Than the Nation

Cardinal Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai celebrated the divine liturgy at the patriarchal residence in Deir al-Qamar, assisted by Bishop Joseph Naffah, the patriarchal vicar for the regions of Jbeil and Zgharta, Bishop Elias Nasser, the patriarchal vicar in Bkerki, Father Fadi Tabet, the general secretary of the Maronite Patriarchate, Father Camillo Mkhail, the private secretary, and a large number of priests.

After reading the Holy Gospel, Patriarch Rai said in his homily: "Patriotism is not a seasonal emotion, nor a political speech, nor slogans raised during crises. Loving Lebanon is a responsibility. Whoever truly loves their country works for its salvation. Lebanon today needs people who prove their love through actions. Loving the homeland means wanting it to be whole for all its children, not a share for a sect or a domain for a faction. It means placing the public good above private interests, safeguarding institutions and public funds, respecting laws, rejecting corruption, and never making a sect greater than the nation or a party stronger than the state."

He continued: "To love Lebanon means taking responsibility for Lebanon. Loving Lebanon means \'preserving its institutions and public funds, respecting its laws, rejecting corruption, and refusing to make a sect greater than the nation, or a party stronger than the state, or private interests above the public good.\"

Patriarch Rai directly addressed the issue of exclusive state control over weapons, stressing that "this matter must not become a confrontation between Lebanese or a tool to incite the streets and sectarian division." He placed the issue within its institutional framework, stating it "relates to the very existence of the state and the unity of its reference point, and to all Lebanese living under one legitimacy and one set of institutions. The state is not built on dominance or defeating a partner, but through all partners gathering under its roof. Thus, exclusive state control over arms is not a call for internal conflict, but a call to complete the concept of the state as the sole universal reference and protector of all its children."

In his assessment of the national reality, the Patriarch expressed the Lebanese people's hope that negotiations and efforts would move beyond mere waiting, yield results that protect Lebanon’s rights, halt attacks, lead to withdrawal from its land, and restore security and stability. In this way, he linked sovereignty with peace. The peace Lebanon seeks is not a surrender of its rights; likewise, sovereignty is not a call for war. Rather, what is needed is for Lebanon to reclaim its right to security, stability, and the exercise of its sovereignty over its own land.

The Patriarch gave a central role to the Lebanese Army, describing it as "the national institution that carries the burden of protecting security, stability, and the extension of legal authority." From this perspective, he called on countries to arm it adequately so that it may deserve national solidarity, remain the fortress of the nation and its institutions. In the Patriarch’s vision, the army is not an institution for a particular group, region, or sect, but the focal point around which all Lebanese unite under legality. Strengthening the army, therefore, strengthens the state itself and its ability to protect all its citizens without discrimination.

He specifically addressed the South with a clear humanitarian and national message, rejecting that it remain "a land of waiting and suffering." Its people want to return to their villages and homes; the land longs for its children; affected areas await reconstruction and the restoration of life. He emphasized that any settlement loses meaning if people do not feel safe on their land, and if Lebanon does not regain sovereignty over its entire territory. Sovereignty here is not merely a constitutional concept; it is the citizen’s right to return home, live in their village, feel secure, and see life return to their land.

The Patriarch renewed his call for active neutrality that protects Lebanon from the conflicts of regional powers and safeguards its free decision-making, without diminishing its right to defend its land and sovereignty. He clarified that Lebanon is called to "remain a land of encounter, not a battlefield; a bridge for dialogue, not a field for others’ conflicts." This vision of neutrality does not mean isolation from regional issues or abandonment of sovereignty, but rather freeing Lebanese decision-making from dependence on external conflicts, enabling Lebanon to fulfill its historical mission as a space for encounter, diversity, and dialogue. Lebanon can emerge from the grip of its crises when love for it becomes a genuine act transcending sects, parties, and interests. Salvation, both spiritual and national, begins when the heart changes; when the heart changes, perception shifts; and when perception shifts, building a new relationship with others and with the homeland becomes possible."