This is Fr. Pierre El Raii, a Lebanese Maronite parish priest. Around 2 p.m. on March 9, he was struck in a bombing, while trying to help a parishioner who had been injured during an initial attack. By the time medical help reached him, Fr. Raii had already passed away.
Those who knew him describe him as a “true spiritual father,” who was “prepared for martyrdom.” One of the priests who worked with Fr. Raii spoke to Rome Reports about their time together.
I know him personally; we have worked together on many occasions, in two parishes. His last parish was Qlaiaa, and he decided not to leave it. This was not the first war he experienced there, but it was at least the second in which he chose to stay with the people in the parish, without abandoning their homes, the elderly, and all these important things.
One of the first reactions to his death came from Pope Leo XIV. In a short message released by the Vatican, the Pope expressed his sorrow over the consequences of the conflict.
Pope Leo XIV expresses his deep sorrow for all the victims of the bombings in recent days in the Middle East, for the many innocent people, including numerous children, and for those who were helping them, such as Father Pierre El Raii, the Maronite priest killed this afternoon in Qlaiaa.
Cardinal Raï issued an official statement, in which he was highly critical, calling for accountability from all country’s leaders, the regional authorities, and the international community.
We strongly condemn all attacks against civilians, religious figures, places of worship, homes and institutions, and against every corner of our homeland. We consider this tragic event a blatant aggression against human dignity and the sanctity of life.
Maronites around the world are watching the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel escalates in Lebanon. In the United States, Bishop Gregory Mansour, Eparch of Brooklyn, sent Rome Reports this video, recorded one day before the bombing that killed Father Pierre.
BISHOP GREGORY MANSOUR
Eparch of Saint Maron of Brooklyn (USA)
Bring peace to this world, that we ourselves have messed up, and bring it quickly, Lord God, for the sake of your people.
The rector of the Pontifical Maronite College in Rome, where priests are trained in the Maronite rite, explained to Rome Reports a few months ago that this situation is nothing new for the Lebanese people.
MONS. GEORGES ABI SAAD
Rector, Pontifical Maronite College in Rome
People don't feel safe. They don't know when they will have another war, when this war will finish, so this is also a big issue because also security is too much important to think about the future. If every five years, two years, ten years, you have another war, and somebody was investing to create something, they will see it destroyed.
The first trip of Pope Leo XIV to Turkey and Lebanon now holds even more significance. He demonstrated his care for two countries constantly affected by conflict in the Middle East.
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