The convoy of Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rahi stopped in Barouk, where the town's residents, along with the head of the Druze community, Sheikh Sami Abil-Muna, and the accompanying delegation, welcomed him with welcoming signs.
The mayor of Barouk, Elias Nakhla, gave a speech in which he pointed out that "His Beatitude the Patriarch and the head of the Druze community are teachers of coexistence, from whom we learn and teach our children to instill love, despite the injustice our country is experiencing."
In response, Patriarch al-Rahi thanked the organizers for their warm welcome and pointed out that "it is not enough for us to say that we are all for the homeland because, unfortunately, we are not all for the homeland. It is not enough to say that Lebanon is a final homeland when we find that loyalty is lacking. We cannot live the lie between what we say and what we do. Today, in Barouk, we stand before the national conscience and renew our belief that Lebanon is a real and final homeland for all its citizens, and all loyalty is to it alone. Unfortunately, in all countries, their national anthem is sung in full, except Lebanon; we suffice with the first part. From here, in front of the statue of Rashid Nakhlé, let us declare our commitment to sing our national anthem in full because it is an integral link that cannot be broken, carrying a national commitment that befits us as Lebanese."
For his part, Sheikh Sami Abil-Muna saw that "there is no speech after the speech of His Beatitude, who, with his presence and high morals, speaks through us, and his word is our word."