Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, John X Yazigi, on Thursday welcomed at the Patriarchate’s headquarters in Balamand, Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, accompanied by his Media Advisor Misbah Al-Ali, in the presence of Head of Our Lady of Balamand Patriarchal Monastery, George Yacoub, and a number of priests.
After the meeting, Minister Makary said: ‘This visit comes at a very critical time that Lebanon and the region are going through. It is a necessary visit, because the Patriarch comes from a land that has been tormented and has experienced wars, killing, displacement and exodus.’
Minister Makary described the situation in the region as ‘very bad’, referring to what is happening in the occupied Palestine and southern Lebanon.
The Minister stressed that “we must remain steadfast in our land with cultural and religious diversity as well as the diversity of our heritage.’
He said: “Because our country is built on dialogue, we must present our problems despite the crises t
hat Lebanon is experiencing, including: the security situation in the south and the repeated Israeli attacks, in addition to the crisis of electing a president of the republic.”
Minister Makary then toured the Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand, where Archimandrite Yacoub gave a detailed explanation of the history of the monastery and its icons.
Patriarch Yazigi also presented Minister Makary with a number of religious books and icons.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon