Patriarch Absi Meets Agriculture Official Lahod in Asthma, Lebanon, on War Damage to Farming

Patriarch Joseph Absi received Louis Lahod, Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, at the headquarters of the Patriarchate, according to the source. Lahod was accompanied by the industrialist Siem Riashi.

The discussion covered the general situation in Lebanon and the situation of the Melkite Greek Catholic community. It also addressed conditions in Zahleh and the Bekaa, and the state of Lebanon’s agricultural sector. The source reports serious damage to that sector caused by the ongoing war against Lebanon.

The source also records the Patriarch’s return from Rome, where he took part in the meetings of the Synod of Bishops. Lahod congratulated him on his return. The source says Lahod also wished Absi well in his duties following his election as a member of the Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops in Rome.

According to the source, the election was described as a sign of trust in Patriarch Absi and in the role of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. The source does not give further detail on the election’s procedure or the wider aims of the meeting.

Meeting with officials on hard questions of national loss, a sign of seeking peace in practical matters (Romans 12:18).

Source: Read the original report (translated from Arabic)