Maronite Bishops Call for Cooperation and Quick Cabinet Formation after Security Shakeups

The Council of Maronite Bishops on Wednesday urged politicians to cooperate and speed up the formation of a government that is capable of dealing with the demands of citizens.

Following their monthly meeting at Bkirki, the bishops stressed the need “to speed up the formation of a new cabinet capable of taking responsibility and dealing with the affairs of the nation and citizens.”

The statement was read by Monsignor Youssef Toq after the meeting that was headed by newly elected Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi and former head of the Maronite church Nasrallah Sfeir.

He said the latest security shakeups in the country, including the Roumieh prison riot, the kidnapping of the Estonians and the bombing of the church in Zahle “are worrying and are taking place amid a paralysis in constitutional institutions.”

Toq reiterated that al-Rahi along with bishops and officials from different sects would visit the Vatican next week to thank Pope Benedict XVI for his support.

The bishops also expressed regret at the suffering of the Lebanese community in the violence-torn Ivory Coast, hoping for an improvement in their conditions.