Cardinal Bechara Rai, patriarch of Maronite Catholics, welcomed the election of a new Lebanese president, ending a two-and-a-half-year power vacuum that had crippled the country’s government institutions. The cardinal also expressed his hope for the acceleration of a unified government and “direct action to save Lebanon from political, economic and social suffering.” He urged newly elected President Michel Aoun and other politicians to heed the words of the apostle Paul, to forget what lies behind and to forge ahead to the future. Under Lebanon's power-sharing system, the presidential post is reserved for a Maronite Catholic. Aoun, 81, elected on Oct. 31, is the only Christian head of state in the Arab world. Aoun’s election follows 45 successive failed attempts by the legislators to elect a president since the term of former President Michel Suleiman ended in May 2014, a reflection of the sectarian power struggle that defines the country’s political arena.
Finally a President Is Elected in Lebanon
Show Comments (
)
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
The latest from america
Pope Francis shared that he is experiencing “healing,” specifically “in my soul and my body,” as he reaches the eighth day of the minimum two-month period of rest and convalescence prescribed by his doctors.
With 38 years of experience in overseeing the process of canonization and beatification of saints, Monsignor Robert Sarno offers a deep dive into the world of Catholic relics, including their history, hierarchy and controversy.
Pope Francis continues to be in stable condition and has registered improvements in both breathing and speech, the Vatican said on March 28.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s deft handling of the mercurial U.S. president has sent her approval rating soaring, reaching 85 percent in the latest survey from the newspaper El Financiero.