ACI Mena, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, who followed the preparations, attended the event at the Forum de Beirut and conducted a number of interviews with Christian leaders and participants at the event to highlight the importance of the gathering.
Bishop Cesar Esayan, apostolic vicar of Latins in Lebanon, stressed that although unity may not emanate directly from this choir, it is a powerful example of it. He said he believes this event shows the possibility of Christians coming together to praise and worship the Lord together, stressing that true unity is born when individuals dedicate their lives to God and unite with Jesus Christ.
He pointed out that the symbolism of the ecumenical scene is not limited to Lebanon, but rather its influence extends to the Middle East and the entire world. He concluded by stressing that Lebanon is a model for coexistence and common brotherhood between different Christian traditions.
For his part, Bishop George Baqouni, metropolitan of Beirut, Byblos, and their Melkite Catholic dependencies, praised this initiative, begun by a young Catholic about a year and a half ago. He expressed his joy at the cooperation shown by the choir members and many of the church leaders participating from various denominations. He pointed out that this event is the first of its kind in Lebanon and that the participation of leaders of the Catholic, Orthodox, and evangelical churches is a positive sign and a call to action.
Sister Jinan Farah, a consecrated member of the Antonine Sisters, pointed out that the continuing crisis in the region makes the unity of the Church necessary. She saw the choir, composed of different Christian communities from all over Lebanon, as a tangible expression of this unity and an important step toward strengthening it. She described Lebanon as “a symbol of diversity, and of cultural and religious coexistence.”
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