Bechara Rai: Unity is key to Palestinians liberation

Beirut - Taqrib News Agency (TNA) - Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai started Monday his pastoral tour in the United States by attending a mass at Saint Charbel Parish of Beroia City / Illinoy state.

After Communion, the Patriarch gave a word saying his visit to U.S.A. is to participate in the Meeting for the Prelates of the American Continent, and to check on the Maronite Parishes in U.S.A. for the purpose of enhancing cooperation between them and the Church in Lebanon.

Rahi said, in his word, we (Christians) are not minority in the East, but an essential part of it as we are part of the Christians Body.

Rahi asked the congregation to pray for Lebanon; the country of the holy mission of the Christian-Muslim coexistence.

For his part, Father Abdo Abou Kasm, who represented the Patriarch Beshara Rai in the fifth conference to support the Palestinian Intifada in Tehran, urged "Palestinians to unite in order to achieve the liberation of their land".

Abou Kasem stressed the attachment to Quds, adding that Palestine is not a cause of land but a cause of people who needs to return to their homeland, calling on the international community to implement resolution 194 and all the international resolutions which were stipulated by the UN which all confirmed Palestinian rights.