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In New York, Maronite patriarch discusses plight of Lebanese
- Dettagli
- Creato: 27 Maggio 2008
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The people of Lebanon will sow justice and reap the gift of peace, said Cardinal Nasrallah P. Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, on a visit to New York from his beleaguered country.
At a Mass offered May 15 at Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Brooklyn, Cardinal Sfeir compared the Lebanese people to Mary and the disciples in the days after Pentecost.
"They were afraid of the hatred and divisions that were so strong in their society, but something new happened," he said. "The Holy Spirit gave them the courage, power and gifts to witness to Christ, to take risks, to work for the salvation of the world, to lay down their lives for the truth."
Cardinal Sfeir said: "The spirit of love changes everything. There will still be hate and divisions, but the Holy Spirit helps us overcome evil with good.
"With the help of the Virgin Mary and the prayer of the apostles, we too will receive our share of the Spirit, encourage one another not to give in to fear or despair and ... sow justice so as to reap the gift of peace."
The fragile security situation in Lebanon has been threatened recently by renewed struggles between the country's ruling anti-Syrian coalition and Hezbollah, the powerful Shiite militia. The presidency, a post reserved for a Maronite Catholic, has been vacant since November.
Cardinal Sfeir began a seven-day visit to New York, Pennsylvania and Texas with a May 15 meeting at the United Nations. He addressed the Security Council and spoke with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Lebanese Consul General Antoine Azzam. He was accompanied by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations.
Speaking to Azzam, Cardinal Sfeir said: "The duty incumbent on all Lebanese and friends of Lebanon is to restore order, parliamentary procedure, civility in dialogue, respect for the rights and duties of the state and forge a permanent conviviality reflected not only in law but in actions as well.
"The opportunity for a new Lebanon is before us. Let us not lose the chance by egotistical or illegal actions that weaken Lebanon," he said. "Rather, let us all, no matter what is our confession, party or opinion, see Lebanon as a sacred trust worthy of our every respect and effort."
In his address to the Security Council, Cardinal Sfeir asked the United Nations to "intervene with all member states to facilitate the normal and proper functioning of the Lebanese government. Lebanon by nature is pluralistic, a country governed by a consensual democracy. This special character of Lebanon should be safeguarded and never lost."
Cardinal Sfeir asked neighboring countries not to compromise the sovereignty of Lebanon. He also asked the international community to help the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
In a phone interview with Catholic News Service as he traveled from the United Nations to Brooklyn, Cardinal Sfeir said, "I have made an appeal to all Lebanese to put away the arms and to have a dialogue and reconciliation."
Specifically, he said that he had hosted talks with representatives of the fighting parties.
"Reconciliation has not been made, but the situation will improve and there will be peace," he said.
Bishop Gregory J. Mansour of the Maronite Diocese of St. Maron of Brooklyn said that Cardinal Sfeir "welcomed the parties to his home. He is trying to rally the Lebanese to see the other person's point of view."
Cardinal Sfeir said: "Unfortunately there are more than 1 million people who have left Lebanon. They are not all Christians. I told them to have confidence in Lebanon, but they need to find jobs and there are no jobs in Lebanon."
Cardinal Sfeir said that Ban has "always been involved in Lebanon and is ready to help." He said he thanked Ban for renewing the appointment of the special U.N. envoy to Lebanon.
The Mass in Brooklyn was concelebrated by 28 bishops and priests and attended by more than 400 people. While the worshippers waited for the patriarch, they recited the rosary in Arabic.
Bishop Mansour welcomed the participants to the liturgy, saying: "It is not enough to work for peace. We must pray for peace."
He noted that Cardinal Sfeir marked his 88th birthday May 15 and said, "We thank God for his parents who taught him to love God and Lebanon and what is good and noble in life."
The congregation included octogenarians who are first-generation, Brooklyn-accented Lebanese-Americans whose Arabic was limited to prayer responses, as well as newer immigrants who carried infants and spoke to one another in spirited Arabic.
Laurice Fadel, who came to the United States as a child, said there was some tension between the established and newer members of the congregation but that she was grateful for the newcomers, whose presence breathed new life into the parish.
Both groups clamored to shake hands and take pictures with Cardinal Sfeir after the Mass and enjoyed a late-night reception of lemonade and Lebanese treats served from an immense table in the cathedral's social hall.
By Beth Griffin
Catholic News Service
At a Mass offered May 15 at Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Brooklyn, Cardinal Sfeir compared the Lebanese people to Mary and the disciples in the days after Pentecost.
"They were afraid of the hatred and divisions that were so strong in their society, but something new happened," he said. "The Holy Spirit gave them the courage, power and gifts to witness to Christ, to take risks, to work for the salvation of the world, to lay down their lives for the truth."
Cardinal Sfeir said: "The spirit of love changes everything. There will still be hate and divisions, but the Holy Spirit helps us overcome evil with good.
"With the help of the Virgin Mary and the prayer of the apostles, we too will receive our share of the Spirit, encourage one another not to give in to fear or despair and ... sow justice so as to reap the gift of peace."
The fragile security situation in Lebanon has been threatened recently by renewed struggles between the country's ruling anti-Syrian coalition and Hezbollah, the powerful Shiite militia. The presidency, a post reserved for a Maronite Catholic, has been vacant since November.
Cardinal Sfeir began a seven-day visit to New York, Pennsylvania and Texas with a May 15 meeting at the United Nations. He addressed the Security Council and spoke with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Lebanese Consul General Antoine Azzam. He was accompanied by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations.
Speaking to Azzam, Cardinal Sfeir said: "The duty incumbent on all Lebanese and friends of Lebanon is to restore order, parliamentary procedure, civility in dialogue, respect for the rights and duties of the state and forge a permanent conviviality reflected not only in law but in actions as well.
"The opportunity for a new Lebanon is before us. Let us not lose the chance by egotistical or illegal actions that weaken Lebanon," he said. "Rather, let us all, no matter what is our confession, party or opinion, see Lebanon as a sacred trust worthy of our every respect and effort."
In his address to the Security Council, Cardinal Sfeir asked the United Nations to "intervene with all member states to facilitate the normal and proper functioning of the Lebanese government. Lebanon by nature is pluralistic, a country governed by a consensual democracy. This special character of Lebanon should be safeguarded and never lost."
Cardinal Sfeir asked neighboring countries not to compromise the sovereignty of Lebanon. He also asked the international community to help the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
In a phone interview with Catholic News Service as he traveled from the United Nations to Brooklyn, Cardinal Sfeir said, "I have made an appeal to all Lebanese to put away the arms and to have a dialogue and reconciliation."
Specifically, he said that he had hosted talks with representatives of the fighting parties.
"Reconciliation has not been made, but the situation will improve and there will be peace," he said.
Bishop Gregory J. Mansour of the Maronite Diocese of St. Maron of Brooklyn said that Cardinal Sfeir "welcomed the parties to his home. He is trying to rally the Lebanese to see the other person's point of view."
Cardinal Sfeir said: "Unfortunately there are more than 1 million people who have left Lebanon. They are not all Christians. I told them to have confidence in Lebanon, but they need to find jobs and there are no jobs in Lebanon."
Cardinal Sfeir said that Ban has "always been involved in Lebanon and is ready to help." He said he thanked Ban for renewing the appointment of the special U.N. envoy to Lebanon.
The Mass in Brooklyn was concelebrated by 28 bishops and priests and attended by more than 400 people. While the worshippers waited for the patriarch, they recited the rosary in Arabic.
Bishop Mansour welcomed the participants to the liturgy, saying: "It is not enough to work for peace. We must pray for peace."
He noted that Cardinal Sfeir marked his 88th birthday May 15 and said, "We thank God for his parents who taught him to love God and Lebanon and what is good and noble in life."
The congregation included octogenarians who are first-generation, Brooklyn-accented Lebanese-Americans whose Arabic was limited to prayer responses, as well as newer immigrants who carried infants and spoke to one another in spirited Arabic.
Laurice Fadel, who came to the United States as a child, said there was some tension between the established and newer members of the congregation but that she was grateful for the newcomers, whose presence breathed new life into the parish.
Both groups clamored to shake hands and take pictures with Cardinal Sfeir after the Mass and enjoyed a late-night reception of lemonade and Lebanese treats served from an immense table in the cathedral's social hall.
By Beth Griffin
Catholic News Service