During his Sunday sermon, Bishop Elias Aoude blamed the demise of Beirut to “the lack of morals and conscience among a political class that does not bear responsibility, knows no accountability,” and fails to live up to its obligations to the people and the capital.
The Beirut Metropolitan bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church also included in his criticism “a group of employees gnawed by the mites of corruption and negligence” and yet none is held accountable or punished, reported Al-Nashra.
“What happened on the afternoon of the fourth of August is a crime against humanity, against our brothers who lost their lives, their loved ones, or their livelihoods, and the roof that housed them,” he charged.
Known for his brave outspoken character, Bishop Aoude is once again addressing without restraint the truth that the Lebanese people are painfully and frustratingly aware of. They see it and feel it every day as they await justice and struggle through the catastrophe.
Forty days after the murderous explosion that brought Beirut to its knees, the nation is wondering without much hope if they will ever know who committed such massive crime against them and if justice will be ever served.
Protests took to the presidential palace to remind the country’s top official that the people are not forgetting and are not forgiving and they want justice.
Yet, once again, things did not turn so well, and their voices and pleas remain echoes bouncing back from the stout walls of self-serving politics.
Speaking on behalf of a nation struck with outrage, Bishop Aoude questioned on Sunday the lack of human mindfulness and morals behind the neglect of the state to act:
“How can a human, no matter how great or small his responsibility, allow such a crime? How does he overlook the presence of a huge amount of explosive materials, for years, in the heart of the port located in the heart of the capital?”
And because there is no justification good enough, logic enough, and excusable enough to such neglect, Bishop Aoude asked, “How can any human, whether a senior or small official, neglect this matter, even if it is not within his authority?”
It’s the main question that the Lebanese people have been asking and even debating over since documents revealed that the top officials knew of the highly dangerous ammonium nitrate stored for years in the port.
Some are justifying their leaders to blame it on others, but most are refuting even the thought of such neglect as not only inhuman but also lacking any sense of responsibility and morals.
From his side, Bishop Aoude did not turn around the bushes, fearlessly stating: “The politicians of our country have become addicted to the art of dancing on corpses because they are accustomed to the smell of blood on their hands.”
The Beirut religious leader went on, with the same pain the nation deeply feels today more than any time in history, accusing the officials to “only care about their pockets, their chairs, the shares of their parties and their [political] movements.”
“As for people, they have no value and are not present in the calculations of the officials,” he pointed out.
