When Pope Francis arrives in Jerusalem at the end of May, among those to greet him will be the Lebanese-based Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, unless Lebanese politicians prevent his trip to an “enemy state.”
In responding to threats and criticism, al-Rahi said:
“I am the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, of regions expanding from Turkey to Mauritania, Saudi Arabia and to Iran. It is my duty to welcome the Pope in any country in these regions.”
“Jerusalem is our city as Christians before anyone else, and it is an Arab city. I am going there to say this is our city. We have (religious) authority there and we have people who follow our church. I am going home and I am going to see my people. We have been present in Haifa and Galilee long before Israel.”
He also urged Lebanese to desist from making a fuss over the visit, calling the criticism “shameful.”
A newspaper affiliated with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization threatened al-Rahi, specifically, and Lebanese Christians generally.
As-Safir, a Lebanese daily affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that Christian politicians will meet with Al-Rahi upon his return from a trip overseas and try to convince him to forgo his visit to Israel. Pressure may also be exerted on the Vatican’s ambassador to Lebanon, warning him of “the possible domestic repercussions on Lebanon of the visit to the occupied land.”
“The patriarch’s move puts the Christian existence in the east in danger,” unnamed Christian sources told As-Safir, “at a time when their presence is being increasingly targeted in the entire region.” The sources warned that Islamists could use the trip as an excuse to attack Christians.
Another pro-Hezbollah paper, Al Akhbar, charged that “he creates a dangerous precedent … he humanizes the enemy, breaking the taboo and opening the door to all the believers eager to visit the holy sites.”
The Jerusalem Post reports that while it is generally illegal under Israeli law for Lebanese citizens to visit Israel, “the only exception is Maronite clergy, who are permitted to travel as part of their function within the Church.”
There are an estimated 10,000 Maronite Christians in Israel today. Members of the faith speak Aramaic, the language of the founders of the Maronite church.
The Israeli Maronites are extremely patriotic, with community leaders currently advocating that all young men serve in the Israel Defense Forces.