New Deputies in Harissa Mass

13-5-2018

Nathaly Klimos – Al-Joumhourya

“O Lord! Open their minds “an expression repeated almost more than 128 times by Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi in a Mass on the intention of the new Representatives, the new 76 elected Deputies in Our Lady of Harissa sanctuary.

It was a special day in the basilica in its 110^th anniversary, in which people and deputies gathered their prayers in a mass for the occasion of the Argentinian patron, Our Lady of Lujan’s statue inauguration. This event was attended by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, head of the Congregation of Eastern Churches.

Few minutes before the beginning of the mass, everyone was seated: Deputies Roger Azar, Fady Saad, Daccache, Hawat, and Farid Haykal Al-Khazen, led by Minister of Anti-Corruption Affairs Nicolas Tueini representing the President Michel Aoun, MP Neematallah Abi Nasr representing Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, MP Hadi Hobeish representating Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The Mass lasted for more than an hour and a half because of the many speeches that punctuated the occasion of the inauguration of the Statue of Our Lady of Lujan, which prompted the deputies to constantly look at their watches and repeatedly check their phones or even reply to their contacts. Only MP Neemat Frem appeared totally in silence, in respect and focused, nothing interrupted his participation in prayer maybe once to inspect his glasses. MP Hawat looked like a naughty student, talking to Al-Khazen to his right, and to Daccache to his north, then checking his phone, and then taking out his watch.