BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai said Sunday that Lebanese politicians have fallen into a “coma,” as he urged Christians to maintain their “deep roots” in Lebanon and not to sell their land.

Rai’s remarks came during visits to churches of the Beirut Maronite Archdiocese, which began Saturday and will last until St. Maroun’s Day Thursday.

Beirut Maronite Bishop Bulos Matar and Bishop Tanious Khoury are accompanying Rai on his visits.

Delivering a sermon after leading prayers at Sayyedat al-Wardieh Monastery in the Metn town of Beit Mery, Rai expressed regret at “the coma that the Lebanese politicians are in and political behavior thats leads to destruction and poverty.”

Rai also said that he would not accept Lebanese being forced to leave their land and that the church was prepared to help Christians to remain on their holdings.

“It is not enough that we tell people not to sell their land ... our concern is how to help people invest in their land and how to help in making investing projects in areas,” he added.

Also Sunday, Rai visited the parishes of Dahr Sawan, Baabdat, Ain Saade and Mansourieh, where he was greeted by local officials. In the evening, the patriarch led prayers at Saint-Therese Church in Mansourieh.

On Saturday, the patriarch visited Mar Taqla Church in Bouchrieh, where he held prayers, and then moved to Saint Joseph Church in Rawda, where he highlighted the role of families in “building a nation away from corruption and full of sacredness and love.”

The prelate also visited the Sayyidat al-Rusl school and church in Rawda.

Speaking at the school, Rai said that the church has deep roots in the Middle East. “Christians in it [the church] should not behave as a minority because they should carry the message of Jesus ... to the Arab world and the West,” Rai said. “This is our identity and the meaning of our presence which gives us momentum to stay in the Levant.”

In Sin al-Fil, Rai visited the Saydi Church, where he was welcomed by Metn qaimaqam, Marlin Haddad, Sin al-Fil mayor, Nabil Kahale and others.

Rai said that Beirut “is the capital of partnership and love and Lebanon. The nation which has an essential role in this world ... [this world] that has not found a way to coexistence.”

“That’s why we should remain committed to our land and to living in it with our partners in the country, especially since Lebanese represent uniqueness and every group and sect represents uniqueness in itself,” the patriarch said.

Speaking in the Mar Sarkis and Mar Bacchus Church in Jdeideh, Rai called on the Lebanese not to sell their land.

“I call upon you to maintain deep roots in your land ... don’t give up any piece of land no matter how small it is; this is in order to secure our presence on it,” he said. “This is the message which the Pope [Benedict XVI] will carry to us when he will visit Lebanon this coming fall.”

In Mar Mtanyous Church in Jdeideh, Rai said that Christianity reached Beirut 2000 years ago.

“We focus on our presence and role [in Beirut] because our Muslim brothers in Lebanon and the Arab world focus on the role of Christians since they consider them of an indispensable culture,” Rai said.