Archbishop Audeh Had Harsh Words for Politicians on Palm Sunday

Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut Elias Audeh has slammed the Hizbullah-led opposition without naming it and criticized Lebanese politicians who work for their own interest.

 

“We see officials putting their interests above any other interest. Maybe some of them are seeking to stay alive and some others to keep their posts…Where is God in all this,” said Audeh during Palm Sunday mass at the Saint George Cathedral in downtown Beirut.

 

He said politicians are not dealing with the pain of “the poor and needy, of traders and business owners.”

 

Why “there are those that camp in the heart of our capital, once a beacon and destination,” Audeh asked about the opposition”s ongoing sit-in in downtown Beirut aimed at toppling Premier Fouad Saniora”s government.

 

He dubbed as “murderer” every person who “stays silent” over the current situation in the country.

 

Laying the blame for the deadlock between the majority and the opposition on the political leadership as a whole, Audeh said “the problems of these politicians do not differ from those in the past, and will not differ in the future.”

 

The Archbishop also addressed the closure of Parliament, asking what the functions of MPs are if a “legislator does not perform his duty to defend the rights of citizens.”

 

“Our tragedy in this country is that we know that all those before us are not saying the truth, but we convince ourselves into believing them,” Audeh added.