Beirut (AsiaNews) – There certainly is a need for coordination "among all the living forces of Lebanon" and also between the army and Hezbollah, but, according to the Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, "these forces must obey the rules. We must respect the rules that the government and public opinion consider mandatory. "

Before his departure from Beirut for Rome yesterday to attend the preparatory work of the Synod of the Churches of the Middle East and meet with Benedict XVI, Cardinal. Sfeir met with journalists who made a series of questions on topics of current national interest, including, with respect to coordination of "living forces", his opinion on the inclusion of the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons in national dialogue. "I have no intention – was his response – of allowing you to force me into commenting on certain details”.

The patriarch instead commented on the repeated request by Speaker of the House, Nabih Berry for the abolition of the confessional political system according to which votes and government offices are divided on the basis of religious confessions (for example the President of the Republic is a Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni and the Speaker of Parliament a Shiite.) "Some - the opinion of the cardinal - contend that since we are talking about abolishing confessional politics, we should completely abolish confessionalim." And "if everyone agrees on abolition, we will not be an obstacle."

To a certain degree the upcoming local elections are linked to this theme, for which the Patriarch expressed the hope that "they will be conducted in an atmosphere of calm," because "the contrasts in municipalities may be worse than on a national level."

Card. Sfeir concluded by pointing to the absence of a representative of the Patriarchate at the meeting organized by the embassy earlier this week in Syria. An invitation "probably was sent to us, but is was impossible to appoint a bishop" to represent Bkerke.