Maronite Patriarch welcomes Lebanon's new government (CNA)

Maronite Catholic Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai, who has been sounding the alarm for months about the deteriorating conditions in Lebanon during a political crisis, has welcomed the formation of a new government after 13 months of negotiations. The Lebanese prelate voiced his hope that the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Mikati could revive the country’s economic and social prospects. The formation of a government also fulfills the condition that the Vatican had set for a papal visit to Lebanon.