Al-Rahi Skips Washington as he Kicks off his U.S. Tour on Oct. 4
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi will skip Washington in his U.S. tour after he was informed that “the time was not appropriate to arrange a meeting with the U.S. president,” informed sources told An Nahar daily on Tuesday.
Al-Rahi will begin his pastoral trip on Oct. 4. His first stop will be the city of Saint Louis in Missouri. The patriarch’s visit until Oct. 23 will include stops in Maronite parishes in the states of Illinois, Ohio, Texas, California, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and others.
On Oct. 21, he is scheduled to hold talks with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.
The patriarch was at first scheduled to arrive in Washington on Oct. 1 but later changed the date after he was informed about the “inappropriate timing to arrange a meeting” between him and President Barack Obama, the informed Lebanese and U.S. sources told An Nahar.
Official U.S. sources confirmed to the newspaper that al-Rahi’s latest statements on Hizbullah’s arms and the situation in Syria have angered Washington.
The last meeting held between him and U.S. Ambassador Maura Connelly was “honest and friendly,” they stressed after reports said that al-Rahi informed the diplomat that he was holding onto his stances.
His statements have sparked controversy. Al-Rahi has linked the fate of Hizbullah’s weapons to the liberation of the remaining occupied Lebanese territories and has called for giving Syrian President Bashar Assad the chance to introduce reform for fears that the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood to power would harm Christians in the region.
27 September 2011, 09:07
45
You should go to Iran! There you can surely meet Ahmadinajad and you can then open your eyes to where u are taking us my dear patriarch! go deal religion and stop meddling in politics you fool! what a wasted hope, you and your church are the cause of the death of thousands of Lebanese in the civil war. In the name of you and your Vatican and your god, people killed each others for years!
27 September 2011, 09:07
38
Patriarch: this title will no longer be yours soon.
messages are being sent from all over the world to all true Lebanese NOT to meet you too.
you will discover no one accepts what you are doing for any reason whatsoever.
you are a coward and no one respects you.
you are a disgrace to all the martyrs that have fallen in defense of Lebanon.
27 September 2011, 11:28
36
Should we remind the Patriarch that the VAST number of chrisitians live OUTSIDE of Lebanon in WESTERN countries and that it is NOT in our favour to have deteroriating with the U.S. and the west...!!!!
27 September 2011, 11:38
36
He seems more Orange than Michel Aoun... not even Aoun has completely broken ties with the West...
Such is my distaste for M8, going foward I am completely off Citrus fruits.
No Oranges... = Orange = FPM
No Lemons... = Yellow = Hezbollah
No Limes... = Green = Marada movement...
27 September 2011, 12:04
53
To our Beloved Batrak, what you had said does not need explanation, it was Loud and Clear, it cannot be taken Out Of Context as you had mentioned upon your return to Lebanon. All True Lebanese and the Civilized world were shaken by your legitimization of "HIZBUSTAN" Criminals' Arms, whether you meant it or Not. Maybe you should have kept your opinion to yourself and not splashed on World News. All the people and countries, including the Vatican, who are asking for an Explanation, cannot be wrong.
27 September 2011, 13:09
61
Patriarch Al Rahi sees no hope in talking to impotent figureheads and idiots who are destroying the US while they destroy wherever they illegally set foot. How so alike with the most criminal nation on the face of the earth, Israel. Even God and his men are incapable of saving this lousy falling empire, short of creating an intelligent leader NOW. So why waste time? Just disregard these idiots. There are much more important and decent people to care for and about.
27 September 2011, 13:12
07
Batrak Al-Rahi please as a Lebanese American I do ask you to cancel your USA trip and save the lebanese from being more devided . Your trip to the USA is not helping you or us. so, why bother? You have devided the Church more and more and more
27 September 2011, 14:10
15
monseigneur is dividing the christians in lebanon and now in north america, why? for hassoun? bashar? ahmadinajad?
walid el moallem said< europe does not exist,now our batrak says, washington does not exist, so... lets change our books of geography.
PLSE CARDINAL SFEIR STOP THIS MASCARADE, FOR THE SAKE OF BKIRKI.
27 September 2011, 14:25
20
Theo west has opened the door to all the christians from the middle east.
The west wants all christians out. of their land. the batrak is reacting to what he was told in paris. that was humiliating . they did not care about the rights of christians in the arab world . they only care about the rights of the jews. The batrack is attached to the land and refuses that the lebanese christians be refugees. i do not understand why people got upset with him. any true lebanese would do the same thing. any one who does not approve of the batrak move does not care about lebanon. if you want to be a refugee go for it and do not post notes anymore on the lebanese site. I live in the united states and i want to go back so bad. i want to die in my homeland. we do not need another civil war in lebanon. the christians and muslem will die. and no one will win but the ennemies of lebanon.long live the batrak and may God be with him. Peace to all.
27 September 2011, 16:14
50
Your Beatitude , You came on time to save our church from destruction and dhimmitude , like it was during your predecessor's perod !
No need to go to the USA , no need to meet with incapable people . The Church o Lebanon and it's Patriarch , backed by His Holiness Pope Benedict and the Vatican , know very well what is ggod for the Christians and what is bad for them .
We can still see what the US have donr to the Christians in Irak ans elsewhere , we will never let them do the same thing to us in Lebanon , now that Patriarch Al-RAI is our Sheperd and spiritual leader .
The 3 Christian Leaders are working together hand in hand , Ptriarch & President Sleiman & GMA .. Ya Jabal May Hazzak Reeh .
27 September 2011, 17:36
04
bigdig, small brain, brother please, get a life. We all know you pray at the alter of Gen Klawn, worship IRAN and follow HizbElKzb.
