Lebanese bishops call for cooperation, say country verges on collapse

Published: 2007-09-24

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNS) -- Lebanon's Catholic bishops said the country "is on the verge of (an) abyss" and warned that if a new president was not elected within the constitutional schedule "the fate of the nation would be grim." In a statement, the country's Maronite bishops called for "cooperation between parliament and the (feuding) factions so that Lebanon can regain its status among nations." The statement was issued following the Maronite bishops' monthly meeting presided over by Cardinal Nasrallah P. Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church. Lebanon's parliament was scheduled to convene Sept. 25 to choose a president. In addition to an ongoing political impasse and threats by some factions to boycott the election, the makeup of parliament was further disrupted by the assassination of a Christian lawmaker just hours after the bishops concluded their meeting Sept. 19. Lebanon's parliament must choose a successor to President Emile Lahoud before his extended mandate ends in November. Some Lebanese fear that if the lawmakers cannot agree on a candidate, parallel governments could result.

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