Cardinal Bechara Raï, Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, warns that the continued migration of Christians from the Middle East could destabilize the entire region by removing a vital force for moderation.
“Christians have contributed to forming a moderate Islam,” Cardinal Raï said in an interview with Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). “If the Middle East is emptied of Christians, Muslims will lose their moderation.”
The patriarch’s remarks come amid ongoing upheaval in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon, where war, poverty, and insecurity have driven tens of thousands to emigrate. In Lebanon, the only country in the region where Christians are not a minority, conditions have deteriorated.
According to the World Bank, poverty rose from 12% in 2012 to 44% in 2022. In that time, Lebanon also dropped 23 places in the UN’s Human Development Index. Since that time, of course, Lebanon has suffered Israel's offensive against Hezbollah, with many areas destroyed.
They rely on the Church's help
While Muslims in Lebanon often receive support from neighboring Muslim countries, Raï said Christians rely almost entirely on Church institutions — many of which are under severe financial strain.
“The Christians are poor, and that affects access to food, medication, and hospital care,” he noted.
Cardinal Raï, 85, called on governments to shift their approach to Christian communities in the region.
“It’s not about focusing on numbers, but on the value that the presence of Christians adds,” he said.
He pointed to Catholic schools, many of which serve majority-Muslim student bodies, as examples of the kind of coexistence that is possible.
“In the south, in our Catholic schools, all the pupils are Muslims. These schools do everything to stay open — especially in the mountains — for the good of the citizens.”
He contrasted Lebanon’s constitutional protections for Christian-Muslim coexistence with the situation in Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, where Christians are often regarded as second-class citizens.
“The Lebanese model includes Christian and Muslim values. We want it to continue that way — not just for Lebanon, but for Syria and Iraq as well,” he said.
The cardinal also warned of the long-term consequences of the “brain drain” Lebanon has experienced, with around 77,000 professionals leaving in 2021 alone. “There is a danger that Christians and Muslims will emigrate, and then who will control Syria? Who will control Iraq? Who will control Egypt? Nobody knows.”
Stability strategy
The Maronite Patriarch urged the international community to support the region’s remaining Christian communities — not as a matter of religious solidarity, but as a strategic investment in stability.
“If they are forced to leave, the consequences won’t just be spiritual — they will be political.”
Charities that support Christians in Lebanon include Aid to the Church in Need, the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, and Catholic Relief Services.
