Archbishop Audeh Had Harsh Words for Politicians on Palm Sunday

by **Admin** Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:14 pm

Greek
Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut Elias Audeh has slammed the Hizbullah-led
opposition without naming it and criticized Lebanese politicians who
work for their own interest.

"We
see officials putting their interests above any other interest. Maybe
some of them are seeking to stay alive and some others to keep their
posts…Where is God in all this," said Audeh during Palm Sunday mass at
the Saint George Cathedral in downtown Beirut.

He said politicians are not dealing with the pain of "the poor and needy, of traders and business owners."

Why
"there are those that camp in the heart of our capital, once a beacon
and destination," Audeh asked about the opposition's ongoing sit-in in
downtown Beirut aimed at toppling Premier Fouad Saniora's government.

He dubbed as "murderer" every person who "stays silent" over the current situation in the country.

Laying
the blame for the deadlock between the majority and the opposition on
the political leadership as a whole, Audeh said "the problems of these
politicians do not differ from those in the past, and will not differ
in the future."

The
Archbishop also addressed the closure of Parliament, asking what the
functions of MPs are if a "legislator does not perform his duty to
defend the rights of citizens."

"Our
tragedy in this country is that we know that all those before us are
not saying the truth, but we convince ourselves into believing them,"
Audeh added.