The Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut and its environs, Bishop Elias Odeh, directed a clear criticism of the political reality in Lebanon, warning against the logic of exclusivity in decisions and double standards, and considering that the country has paid heavy prices as a result of the practices of parties that put their interests and rights above the interests of others.
Odeh said, during his Sunday sermon at St. George’s Cathedral, that every working person has legitimate rights, but he stressed that adhering to rights should not turn into a reason to harm others or the public interest.
He added that relations may collapse when each party insists that it alone has the right, pointing out that this logic is not limited to individual relations, but also applies to the national reality.
Odeh continued: “As for the nation, how many tragedies have we lived through because a party was the only one to make decisions whose consequences were devastating to everyone, or a party that allowed itself what it denounced to others, or a group that accused others of what they commit on a daily basis and withhold from others what they say or what they do?”
He pointed out that the problem does not always lie only in the occurrence of a mistake, but in how to deal with it, warning that the accumulation of rivalries and bitterness can increase divisions and deepen crises.
Odeh stressed the importance of not allowing differences and mistakes to turn society into an arena for disputes and hatred, calling for going beyond narrow calculations and adopting an approach based on responsibility towards others and the public interest.
He concluded by emphasizing the need to overcome the logic of clinging to individual interests and rights when this is at the expense of others, which contributes to building more cohesive relations and reducing divisions.
