National Bloc: Patriarch Sfeir was the manifestation of humility, tolerance and proximity to the weak
The Lebanese National Bloc Party stated that the late Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir’s modesty, tolerance, and proximity to the weakest of citizens were the attributes that made him a role model among clerics committed to the teachings of the true Christian religion that Pope Francis is calling for today.
The party said in a statement that meetings between the late Brigadier General Raymond Eddeh and Patriarch Sfeir included little politics and addressed the ethics behind the work of the ruling political powers. The two men often complained about issues of corruption among the ruling class and their exploitation and alienation from people’s problems and concerns, as well as their use of religion for narrow political gains.
The Bloc asserted that Patriarch Sfeir leadership was manifested in his work to curb the excesses of political figures that he deemed harmful to the country and its citizens. The Patriarch’s involvement in public affairs was for the purpose of educating the ruling political parties on the spirit of religion, and the fact that religion puts mankind on top of God’s creation. He always advocated for the weak and the poor.
The National Bloc warned that the decline of religious morals in our modern society and in its leaders is due to the fact that the clerics are more interested in politics than in the spiritual guidance of their followers. The party concluded its statement with the hope that political and religious leaders will emulate the late Patriarch’s values and way of life.