RAMALLAH, West Bank — The controversy is increasing among Palestinians regarding the visit to Palestine by the head of the Maronite community in Lebanon, Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rai, as he accompanies Pope Francis in a visit scheduled for May 25.
Although Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Presidential Higher Committee for Church Affairs welcomed Rai’s visit, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called on the patriarch to reverse his decision and not accompany the pope, as his visit could result in political exploitation and normalization.