Cardinal Rigali meets with president of Lebanon

Published: 2005-07-22

PHILADELPHIA (CNS) -- Although it is "an imperfect model," Lebanon is an example of Christian and Muslim co-existence, Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia said after returning from a trip to the Middle Eastern country. Cardinal Rigali met July 8 with Lebanese President Emile Jamil Lahoud, a Maronite Catholic, while he was in Lebanon to deliver the commencement address at Notre Dame University. Lebanon's constitution requires the president to be a Maronite Catholic, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of the Parliament a Shiite Muslim, creating a balance of power among the three groups. "Lebanon has the largest Catholic population in the Middle East," the cardinal told The Catholic Standard & Times, his archdiocesan newspaper. "While there have been problems, it is a model for coexistence (between Christians and Muslims), although an imperfect model. The stability of Lebanon is extremely important."

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