Beirut: Marking the beatification of Patriarch Elias Hoayek, President Joseph Aoun described the event as both a spiritual and national milestone. In his message to the Lebanese on the occasion, Aoun said the beatification of one of Lebanon's greatest figures affirms that holiness and patriotism can be united in a single life, referring to Patriarch Hoayek as "the father of the notion of Lebanon" whose service to God was inseparable from his service to humanity and to the nation.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Aoun praised Hoayek's 32-year patriarchate, stating he never separated his faith from his struggle for Lebanon, but rather drew strength from his faith in his lifelong pursuit of establishing a free and sovereign Lebanese state. Aoun continued to state that Patriarch Hoayek emerged as a defining national figure at a pivotal moment in history, when the future of the region was being shaped on the international stage. He added that Hoayek carried Lebanon's cause to the 1919 Paris Peace Conference and later to the League of Nations, advocating for the Lebanese people's right to independence and statehood despite the challenges involved.
Aoun also recalled Hoayek's presence alongside General Henri Gouraud on September 1, 1920, when the State of Greater Lebanon was proclaimed, describing him as one of the country's founding figures alongside Emir Fakhreddine II, Emir Bashir II, and Youssef Beik Karam, whose collective efforts paved the way for the modern Lebanese state. He also stressed that Hoayek's struggle was not for the benefit of one community but for an inclusive nation.
The President went on to consider that the beatification of Patriarch Elias Hoayek, coinciding with the centenary of Lebanon's Constitution, is more than a symbolic coincidence, describing it as "a sign of divine providence" that accompanied Lebanon at its founding and continues to guide it through its current challenges. Aoun said Hoayek, who helped secure Lebanon's place among the nations, now serves as a reminder that the country's mission transcends its crises and that its founding vision remains worth preserving and defending. He called on the Lebanese to draw inspiration from Patriarch Hoayek's steadfastness and faith in Lebanon, renewing their commitment to the principles he championed: Lebanon as a land of coexistence and a civilizational bridge between East and West.
On behalf of Lebanon and the Lebanese, President Aoun expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for proclaiming Patriarch Hoayek's beatification, saying the decision honors Lebanon through one of its distinguished sons. He also extended congratulations to the Maronite Patriarch, the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family, and members of the Maronite Church and the wider Lebanese diaspora around the world. Concluding his address, President Aoun recalled Patriarch Hoayek's lifelong prayer: "My God, let me live and die according to Your will," saying that his beatification should serve as an inspiration for all Lebanese to live as he did, a life of dedication to Lebanon, guided by the will of God.