Nuncio, bishops attend slain Maronite priest’s funeral Mass
March 12, 2026
The apostolic nuncio to Lebanon joined two other prelates at the funeral Mass of Father Pierre el-Raï.
The Maronite priest was killed on March 9 during an Israeli attack on Al-Qlayaa, Lebanon. Bishop Elias Nassar, head of a delegation from the Maronite Patriarchate, presided at the March 11 Mass, the Vatican newspaper reported. He was joined by Archbishop Charbel Abdallah and the nuncio, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, as well as numerous priests.
Archbishop Nassar recalled “Father Pierre’s great pastoral generosity, always available to work with children, accompany young people, and support families, encouraging them to remain steadfast in their faith and in their homes despite the difficulties.”
Father Toufic Bou Merhi, O.F.M., who ministers to Latin-rite Catholics in southern Lebanon, told L’Osservatore Romano that “numerous faithful, ecclesiastical, civil, and military authorities gathered to pay homage to a pastor who profoundly impacted the life of his community.” Father el-Raï, he added, was a “true shepherd, ready to give himself for his flock, even to offer his life for his faithful.”
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