The Lebanese German University – LGU hosted at its campus in Sahel Alma his Beatitude Patriarch Al-Rahi to open a series of conferences entitled “Great Lebanon, On the Verge of the First Centennial”. The event which was took place on March 5, 2015 gathered the Information Minister Ramzi Greige, representing Prime Minister Tammam Salam, as well as a host of political and military figures and local personalities in addition to LGU president, Dr. Faouzi Adaimi, the deans of the various faculties and administrative and academic staff.

Dr. Pierre El-Khoury, LGU Vice President for Development, opened the conference recalling the achievements of Patriarch Howayek and his efforts towards establishing Great Lebanon. Dr. El-Khoury considered Patriarch Al-Rahi as the embodiment of Patriarch Howayek’s vision as he managed to bring together all Christian and Muslim leaders under Bkerke’s roof.

The conference was run by journalist Walid Abboud who shed some lights on the difficulties that confronted Lebanon since the establishment of Great Lebanon in 1920, knowing that external and internal conflicts have had a significant impact on the constitution of Lebanon that has never been up to its citizens’ expectations. Abboud wondered whether the declaration of Great Lebanon was a historical failure and if the Lebanese formula as well as the National Charter and the principle of co-existence could withstand the current hardships.

Patriarch Al-Rahi delivered a historical overview of the role of the Patriarchy in establishing Great Lebanon and the importance of the Maronite community in the country. He spoke about the autonomy that the patriarchs used to enjoy while running church and state affairs as they acted both as heads of the Maronite church and political leaders before Great Lebanon was established and turned into a national reference afterwards.

Al-Rahi also stressed that the Maronites have always advocated the independence of Mount Lebanon and upheld its cultural and religious diversity. They established agreements with the Umayyad that allowed them to live in peace with Muslims. During the reign of Louis II, they were backed up by Rome, but were later persecuted by the Mamluks until they went through a phase of stability during the Ottoman Empire and enjoyed some sort of autonomy. Al-Rahi added that the cooperation established between Prince Fakhruddin and Patriarch Youhanna Makhlouf was an illustration of how fruitful such collaboration could be for the cultural and social development of the country. This cooperation was carried through the Alshihabien governance and was followed by religious conflicts until equality was established among the various religions with significant privileges granted to Christians. Al-Rahi concluded that the National Pact of February 9th, 2014 was meant to maintain this sense of responsibility that was prevalent during the terms of the previous patriarchs and constitute a road map to celebrate the centennial of the Declaration of Great Lebanon (1920 – 2020). It affirms the set principles, discusses various concerns, and lays the foundations for the future of Lebanon while determining priorities.

The event was concluded with discussions held between Patriarch Al-Rahi and members of the audience on topics that included the presidential election and the current situation of Christians in the Middle East. The audience was reminded that the series of conferences would extend over several months and cover the following topics:

  • The manufacture of a culture ‘made in Lebanon’
  • The economic role of Lebanon: From Great Lebanon to the Lebanon of public debt
  • Demographic changes and their impact on the Lebanese social balance
  • The Israeli-Arab conflict and its impact on the Lebanese political constitution
  • Higher education: from 4 to 40 universities; Lebanon’s contribution to its young graduates
  • A comparative study between Lebanon and similar countries
  • Lebanese expats: The role of the state in strengthening the expats’ ties with their homeland

Prime Time News – 05/03/2015 – المئوية الاولى للبنان الكبير

Press Conference – Patriarch Rahi – 05_03_2015