Catholic Maronite Patriarch Rai of Lebanon Condemns Pager Attacks which Led to Over 20 Deaths and Injured 3,000 Lebanese

 

Cardinal Bechara Rai, of Lebanon, the patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, expressed deep sorrow over the [ager attacks in a Sept. 18 statement issued by the Maronite Patriarchate’s Secretariat. Explosions of hand-held pagers across Lebanon and in the capital, Beirut, allegedly targeting the  Hezbollah militant group. It noted, "he also condemns all forms of aggression against the Lebanese and Palestinian people, especially the defenseless among them, asking God Almighty to have mercy on those who lost their lives..." The attacks have killed over 20 people and injured 3,000.

In grave violation of just war doctrine — the hacking pagers and detonating them remotely — was condemned by His Beatitude, the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi (statement quoted below).

Lebanon’s National News Agency wrote, “Cardinal Rai voiced his profound pain over the catastrophe affecting nearly 3,000 Lebanese citizens, some of whom have died and others who remain in critical condition following an Israeli attack involving the detonation of pager devices.”

The following statement was released by the Maronite Patriarchate Secretariat:

Statement of Condemnation and Condolences

The Secretariat of the Maronite Patriarchate issued the following statement:

His Beatitude expresses his pain over the disaster that affected nearly three thousand Lebanese citizens, some of whom lost their lives and others are in critical condition as a result of the Israeli attack by blowing up the wireless devices "pager". While he condemns this attack by using means of communication to kill indiscriminately, he also condemns all forms of aggression against the Lebanese and Palestinian people, especially the defenseless among them, asking God Almighty to have mercy on those who lost their lives, and to console their families and those injured in their loss, and to grant the wounded a speedy recovery, and to grant our region and the world comprehensive and just peace.

Bkerke, September 18, 2024