05/13/2019 Lebanon (International Christian Concern) –Lebanon’s Maronite Christian community is in mourning following the passing of Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, the church’s former patriarch, on Sunday. He died just three days before his 99^th birthday.

Sfeir is well known for having lead Lebanon’s Christians through the tumultuous days of the civil war from 1975-1990. In the early 2000s, he also brokered a historic reconciliation agreement between Lebanon’s Maronites and the Druze sect in Chouf mountains, the location of the worst massacres during the civil war. Many Christian leaders had fled during the civil war, which opened the door for Sfeir to rise through church leadership ranks. He retired in 2011.

While not all Maronite Christians agreed with the outcome of Sfeir’s reconciliation work, his story and impact on the church cannot be underestimated. Middle East Christians are often targeted during periods of violence, and Lebanon’s civil war was not different. Sfeir’s work was dedicated towards protecting Christian rights throughout the conflict and serving as peacemaker between the different sides.

Today, Lebanon stands unique among the Middle East. It is estimated that 36% of Lebanese are Christian. The parliamentary structure is based upon equality between Muslims and Christians. The constitution dictates that the president should always be Christian. Lebanon stands out as the only Middle Eastern country with a Christian president. Despite these positive circumstances, Iran’s influence through Hezbollah continuously threatens to upset this delicate balance. and Sfeir’s legacy.

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