Hundreds of thousands of people in all regions of Lebanon have been gathering for weeks in peaceful and widespread anti-government protests. Recognising the breadth and significance of the public mobilisation, Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has joined calls for a peaceful and just transition in Lebanon.
‘As a fellowship of churches, we believe that justice in all its forms – social, economic and political – remains central to life in any community’, said WCC general secretary Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit. ‘The voice of the Lebanese people, their protest and their demands are a call for justice.’
The WCC joined calls for decision-makers in the country to respect and honour the demands of the people: ‘Lebanon is a very important multi-religious nation, and its social cohesion, and its cultural and intellectual heritage, must remain a witness of peace, of hope and of communal unity in diversity.’
See the WCC website.
The General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) has issued the following statement on the current situation in Lebanon:
‘In the meantime when Lebanon is inflamed by the pain and the sorrow of his people, we pray for the Lebanese human dignity and the stability of its society. We also pray that God will inspire the leaders, and the people to serve the common good.’
See the MECC website.
Front page photo: M Canzi
