Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi delivered a stark appeal for peace, compassion, and social justice in his Easter message, urging an end to armed conflict, the weapons trade, and the killing of innocents, while calling for greater solidarity with the most vulnerable.

“Enough with wars, the manufacturing of weapons, and the trade in arms,” the patriarch said in his yearly Easter address. “The world needs bread, not weapons.”

Al-Rahi condemned not only the proliferation of arms but also the societal disregard for life, citing abortion and the killing of innocents as symptoms of a deeper moral crisis.

“Let abortion and the killing of innocents stop,” he said. “And may the hands of those who can give be extended to fill the hands of those in need.”

Turning to the education sector, al-Rahi warned of the mounting challenges facing Lebanon’s schools and universities and called for an urgent national initiative to safeguard the country’s academic future.

“In light of the challenges facing Lebanon’s education sector, there is an urgent need for an educational revival based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, particularly the right of every individual to learn,” he said.

But such an effort, he stressed, would only be successful through inclusive and constructive dialogue.

“This initiative will not bear fruit without meaningful engagement from all stakeholders,” he added, “with the aim of enacting fair legislation that preserves the rights of all members of the educational community.”