Cardinal Beshara Rahi: Lebanese believe in coexistence

Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Beshara Rahi, said Friday that the Lebanese people adhered to coexistence and the spirit of peace rather than war, and called for the immediate release of two bishops who were kidnapped in Syria last month. The Patriarch made his statements during a reception held in his honor in Sao Paulo, Brazil as part of his ongoing tour of Latin America. "The Lebanese are a people of peace and not a warring group, and Lebanon is a small nation with a big message carried by its sons all over the world, and expatriates are the true face of Lebanon, and they are its glory." The kidnapping case of two Bishops, Boulos Yaziji and Yohanna Ibrahim, in Syria last April was the focus of Rahi's speech. He reiterated calls for their release, and described the events in Syria as a "crime against humanity." "The international community must exert efforts to free the two bishops."