NICOSIA: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai highlighted his sect’s unity Sunday as he headed a ceremonial Mass to commemorate Mar Maroun Day, on the third day of his pastoral visit to Cyprus.Attendees at the Mass, which took place in a church in the Cypriot capital Nicosia, included the country’s President Dimitris Christofias and his wife, its Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis and Cyprus’ interior minister, as well as the envoys of Arab and Western states and the papal ambassador to the island.

Rai gave a sermon and reiterated his earlier statements that the patriarchate would continue working with great effort toward unification of the island.

Since 1974, Cyprus has been divided between the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus, which is predominantly Greek, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey. Negotiations between the two sides aim at reuniting the island.

Rai took the opportunity to thank the Cypriot president and prime minister and all religious, political and social figures for their kind hospitality.

He said that the deep ecclesiastical relationship between Maronites in Lebanon and those in Cyprus and the Orthodox Church was very pleasing.

The patriarch also gave thanks to Christofias for caring for the Maronite community in Cyprus.

“One thousand two hundred years have passed of the presence of Maronites and other Lebanese on this island,” Rai said. “And they’ve been rooted there in love, security and loyalty and are completely loyal to Cyprus and its people.”

Rai spoke of his visit to the four traditionally Maronite villages in the Turkish-occupied north whose inhabitants fled their homes after the 1974 invasion and now live in the predominantly Greek portion of the island.

“I discovered [there] that the residents of these parishes are very attached to their lands, their churches and their social and cultural values,” he said.

Rai called for the island to regain its unity based on just and permanent peace and diversity.

For his part, Christofias said that Mar Maroun celebrations held particular importance this year because of Rai’s presence in Cyprus.

He added that there is close coordination between the state and Maronites who hold decision-making positions.

“We deal with their issues positively, especially those in the Republic of Cyprus, and we are continuously working on removing the Turkish army to give the Maronites in northern Cyprus a chance to return their villages which are occupied.

“The main obstacle with the Turkish army is that it does not want to withdraw and the Cypriot government cannot do anything about it,” he added. “We contribute to development projects that help Maronites return to their northern villages.”

Christofias called on the United Nations to respect the sovereignty and the unity of the island.

“We support respect for human rights and the rights of sects, and the solution will be a sectarian federal system in one republic in order to reach positive cooperation between the sects,” he said.

At noon Rai attended an honorary lunch held by members of the Maronite community in Cyprus, at which Bishop Youssef Soueif presented him with a picture painted by Maronite Cypriots.

The patriarch thanked Soueif and all who cooperated to make the pastoral visit a success.

He also saluted the Orthodox Church and said that his meeting with the Orthodox archbishop had been very successful.

He concluded by saying: “My visit ends tomorrow and I carry with me an important Cypriot cultural heritage as I carry in my heart and prayers the Cypriot cause to reach the unification of this island.”

To end his visit, Rai laid the foundation stone for a Maronite Church and religious center in Nicosia and visited some elderly Maronites. He also paid a visit to a Maronite Church and in the evening attended a dinner at the home of Cypriot Maronite MP Antoine Russos.

Speaking during the banquet, Russos told Rai that Cyprus’ Maronite community was among the most vulnerable groups in the small island because their villages were occupied, or transformed into buffer zones.

The lawmaker also expressed hope that Lebanon’s Maronite Church would continue providing support to the Maronites of Cyprus.