COMMUNIQUE FROM THE MARONITE BISHOP'S

On Wednesday , July 7, 1999, Their Excellencies the Maronite Bishops held their monthly meeting at Bkerkeh, under the chairmanship of His Beatitude Patriarch Nasrallah-Butros Cardinal Sfeir , and studied the new religious and temporal developments in Lebanon and in the region. At the end of the meeting, they issued the following communiqué :

1 – The latest sudden aggression against Lebanon , making great human and material losses , indicated that the Lebanese have a strong will to stand in one rank behind their Government and a firm determination to overcome the trial however big. Hence , many of them were incited to contribute to restauring the damaged bridges and power stations.

2 – The news conveying, through the mass media , the international desire to resume the talks about finding a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli problem and the entanglement it has with the Lebanese and the Syrian problems, should lead the Lebanese to keep on unifying their ranks so that they enter the negotiations having the ability to win others to their point of view, lest the little country be victim of ambitions and plots, but rather will keep its specific characteristics and work to recover its sovereignty , independence and free decision on its territory.

3 – The Jezzeen case shows , in fact , the unity of rank in Lebanon . Hence , there should be no disparity in the outlook on the Jezzeen events and , especially, on its people who, despite the changing situations they lived, remained attached to their land , holding to their homeland and flying only its flag. Moreover, they confided in the Lebanese Government, entrusting themselves to it, awaiting justice and equity, lest they fall in despair , which has very bad consequences.

4 – The economic crisis depriving the Lebanese from their sleep should be solved as quickly as possible, especially after the loss the hateful aggression against Lebanon has caused to the tourism sector, by speeding the ratification of the budget to flow in the market with the required money and by finding markets for the Lebanese agricultural and industrial products.

5 – The Summer Season is an occasion to return to Nature in Lebanon which is beautiful indeed, and requires to be protected. It draws people nearer to God , their creator, in whom we should renew our faith, as well as in His divine providence which watches over this little homeland so that it remains a land of prayer, brotherly cooperation among the faithful of the various religious families , and a call for security, entente and peace .
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