In a letter to Cardinal Sfeir, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, Bishop Lang, Chair of the Bishops’ International Affairs department who met with the Cardinal in Beirut last summer, said:
“As the third cardinal and seventy-sixth patriarch of the Maronite Church since your election in 1986, you have played an indispensable role in defending the rights of Christian communities in Lebanon and across the whole region. You have also spoken out for the human rights of all the Lebanese people and in favour of the integrity of your country. What a fitting moment indeed to retire at a time when you celebrate this month your Patriarchal silver jubilee and your Episcopal golden jubilee.”
Representing the bishops of England and Wales, Bishop Lang wished the Maronite Patriarch well in his retirement:
“On behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales, I wish you well in your retirement just as I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the Conclave in the election of your successor. The Middle East and North Africa region is undergoing critical developments, and the Maronite Church will doubtless continue to play a key role in the life, presence and witness of Christians in Lebanon and across the whole region.”
