Bechara Asmar Caught Making Fun of Late Patriarch in Viral Video

A video showing the head of the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers, Bechara Asmar, mocking the late Patriarch Emeritus Nasrallah Sfeir went viral on Friday, sparking widespread condemnation.

Unaware that his microphone was on before a news conference, Asmar was heard joking with people sitting alongside him, making fun of the venerable patriarch one day before he was laid to rest.

"This one has become a saint now! I kept praying all night [to him] asking that hair would grow again on my bald head," Asmar said mockingly.

Father Abdo Abu Kasem, the head of the Catholic Media Center, lashed out at Asmar, slamming his "decadent" remarks.

"When someone talks disdainfully about a great man like Patriarch Sfeir, then he doesn't deserve to remain in his position," Abu Kasem said, adding that it would be purposeless for Asmar to make an apology, or to justify what he said as a mere joke or a slip of the tongue.

Several lawmakers, the Maronite League, the Maronite Diaspora Institute, the Future Movement, and many others condemned Asmar's behavior, demanding that he would be arrested and removed from his post.