Cardinal says government is dividing Lebanon at people's expense

Published: 2006-04-17

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNS) -- In an Easter message, the head of Lebanon's Maronite Catholic Church said that division among government officials is polarizing the country at the expense of the Lebanese people, who are on the verge of despair. Cardinal Nasrallah P. Sfeir also urged the faithful to have hope, reminding them God is ready to help Lebanon. "The people are confused," said the cardinal. "They expect their leaders to lead them to a safe haven. Instead, they are leading them to peril and loss, poverty and despair." Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, whom Lebanon's anti-Syrian parliamentary majority is seeking to oust, attended the Easter Mass at Bkerke, headquarters of the Maronite Catholic Church. Before celebrating Mass, Cardinal Sfeir met with Lahoud for about an hour in a closed-door session. Lahoud's fate is the key unsettled issue in a series of national discussions among Lebanon's rival leaders. Talks are scheduled to resume in late April.

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