Cuba attends Mass for Saint Maron's Day in Lebanon
Ambassador Jorge P. León Cruz accepted an invitation to participate, along with other accredited diplomats, in the Mass of Saint Maron, celebrated by Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai at Saint George's Cathedral in downtown Beirut, which was attended by President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, and other dignitaries.
President Joseph Aoun expressed his hope that this holiday would become “a national day of unity, through which Maronites and all Lebanese would reconnect with the values of Lebanon: land of the message and messages, land of saints and righteous people, and refuge for free people, such as those who defended this country, faith, and freedom.”
He also confirmed his desire that “after all the sacrifices, we may see the emergence of the free country to which we aspire, a fully realized sovereignty and a just and balanced state, capable of granting the emerging generation the opportunities they deserve to achieve success and the splendor of Lebanon.”
At the end of the mass, the Cuban diplomat had the opportunity to greet the president, prime minister, and president of Parliament, as well as to exchange greetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, other leaders, authorities, and dignitaries of the country who were present at the liturgical ceremony.
This religious commemoration is celebrated every year on the feast day of Saint Maron, who was a hermit priest who lived between the 4th and 5th centuries in what is now the Turkish region of Antioch, near the border with Syria.