NNA - Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bshara Butros al-Rai congratulated the families of the 9 Lebanese who were kidnapped in A'zaz for their safe return to their homeland and prayed for the release of the 2 abducted bishops in Syria.


In his religious sermon at "Our Lady of Rescue" Church in Breij within his parish tour in the Metn region on Saturday, al-Rai raised prayers of gratitude to the Lord for the happy ending witnessed this day with the release of the 9 kidnapped Lebanese. He also prayed that the abduction of the 2 bishops and 3 priests for months now would also come to an end.


Al-Rai hoped that such human tragedies and attacks on human dignities would cease to exist. He also hoped that the Lord would enlighten the mind of politicians in Lebanon, so as to become aware of their grave responsibilities in being entrusted with the State and people's interests and well-being.


Al-Rai urged Lebanese officials to work on a speedy cabinet formation; refusing herein any acts of stalling the new government formation, linking it to the interests of foreign countries and Syrian incidents.



=============== R.Sh.