Patriarch Rai heads to the US on a pastoral tour

Lebanon’s Christian Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai headed to the United States on Saturday morning on a pastoral tour .

When he was asked about possibly of meeting with US President Barack Obama he said

“I am not a politician or a man of state…I am a patriarch who makes pastoral visits to parishes abroad ,” Rai was quoted as saying by National News Agency. (more…)

Lebanon will soon have a new Patriarch, report

Bkirki sources have revealed that the election of a new Patriarch in Lebanon is imminent and will not take much longer . (more…)

Lebanon does not have a new Patriarch yet

MTV reported on Saturday evening that so far Lebanon does not have a new Patriarch, since none of the bishops has obtained the two-thirds of votes necessary.

The 39 Maronite bishops met Saturday in Bkirki to elect a successor to Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir , (more…)

Aoun: Arms outside the state’s authority is abnormal

Change and Reform bloc leader MP Michel Aoun visited Bkirki and met Wednesday with outgoing Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir.

Following his meeting Aoun said that “now is not the right time to renounce non-state weapons.” In reference to Hezbollah arms (more…)

Election of new Maronite Patriarch begins at Bkirki

The guardians of the Maronite patriarchate, Farid Haikal al-Khazen and Amin Keserwan al-Khazen, closed the gates of the seat of the Maronite church in Bkirki at 6:20 pm on Wednesday marking the beginning of the process of electing a new Maronite Patriarch for Lebanon (more…)

Rifi : We shouldn’t be afraid as long as we have people like Sfeir

ISF chief General Ashraf Rifi told reporters after meting Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir at Bkirki : As long as this country has men of Patriarch Sfeir’s caliber, we should not be afraid at all .

Rifi said the enrollment rate for Christians in the ISF has almost reached 40% for the first time in ISF’s history. (more…)

Pope Benedict accepts Maronite Patriarch Sfeir’s resignation

Pope Benedict XVI accepted Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir’s resignation, according to the Secretariat of the Maronite Patriarchate in a statement issued Saturday. Benedict sent a letter to Sfeir accepting the latter’s resignation of the spiritual head of Lebanon’s Maronites, the largest Catholic church in the Middle East.

“I accept your free resignation, [and] I am sure that you will remain with the Maronite Church with your prayers,” the Pope told Sfeir in the letter. (more…)

Saint Maroun statue placed at Vatican

The statue of Saint Maroun was unveiled at Saint Peter’s square at the Vatican on Wednesday during a ceremony attended by President Michel Suleiman, Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and Pope Benedict XVI. The statue of St. Maroun is the 12th and last statue.

A large number of Lebanese MPs, officials and former lawmakers also attended the event which was followed by a mass held by Sfeir. (more…)

Al-Ahbash denied threatening to bomb a catholic school:

The anonymous SMS claiming that Patriarch Sfeir had received a phone call from Al-Ahbash that involved a threat to bomb a Catholic school is suspicious, malicious and false. It is also aimed at inciting fear, panic and sedition, Al Abash ( Jam’iyyat al- Mashari’ al-Khayriyya al-Islamiyya ) said in a statement .

Harb: Sfeir awaiting Vatican decision over his resignation

Lebanese Caretaker Labor Minister Butros Harb unveiled Sunday that Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir submitted his resignation to the Vatican months ago but the Vatican was taking its time in accepting it.

Following a meeting with Sfeir, Harb said it is up to the Vatican to make a decision on the matter, adding that so far there has been no response. (more…)