Under the theme “The Responsible Word: A Freedom That Builds Love for the Homeland,” and in the shadow of the historic Monastery of Saint Sergius and Bacchus in Reifoun, Bkerke Jeune organized a comprehensive intellectual, spiritual, and media gathering, coinciding with the blessed journey toward the beatification of the great Lebanese Patriarch, the Venerable Elias Boutros Hoayek.
The meeting, held under the patronage and blessing of His Beatitude Cardinal Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, served as a moment of gratitude for Lebanon’s press and media community. It was marked by a broad gathering of journalists, media professionals, and prominent municipal and ecclesiastical figures, led by the Mayor of Reifoun, Engineer Elias Anton Saadeh Safir, and Sister Juliet Abi Khalil of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family, a member of the organizing committee for the beatification event of Patriarch Hoayek. Also present were journalist Maguy Makhoul, President of the Catholic International Union of the Press – UCIP Lebanon, representing Father Tony Khadra, President of the Oum El Nour association; Dr. Marie-Thérèse Kredy, Executive Director of Télé Lumière and NourSat; Majed Bou Heider, President of Youth of Hope Association; and journalist Saad Elias, member of the Episcopal Commission for Media, representing the Catholic Media Center. A large group of media professionals also attended.
The gathering included, among others: Fr. Joseph Salloum, Yezbek Wehbé, Rima Chleihoub, Joseph Chleihoub, Rania Ghosn, Fadi Nakouzi, Oghette Salameh, Dalia Freifer, Nadia Chreim, Dolly Tarabay, Rola Abi Rached, Nawal Lichaa Abboud, Rima Rahme, Karel Hassoun, Mia Farah, Arlette Khoury, Charbel Tarabay, Fadi Faghali, Paul Bijani, and Munir Ibrahim Jabr, among others.
The event opened with a reception where participants gave media statements reflecting on the legacy and virtues of Patriarch Hoayek. These were broadcast by various television stations, including Télé Lumière & NourSat, Charity Radio TV, SAT-7, Télé Liban, and MTV; radio stations such as Radio Liban, Radio Liban Libre, and Voice of Lebanon; the National News Agency; and digital platforms including X-Ray, Bird Eye News, NewsTelegraph.net, Social News, and others that covered the event extensively.
This was followed by a joint prayer in the monastery church, asking for a media committed to truth and freedom.
The welcoming address was delivered by Media Committee Coordinator Ms. Naya Fadoul Nasr, who expressed joy at what she described as a divinely guided gathering. She noted that this “dream meeting” had long been envisioned by the late founder of the office, Monsignor Tewfik Bou Heider, and the media committee, and that it had finally come to fruition at this time under his spiritual intercession and that of Patriarch Hoayek. She emphasized the responsibility of the word and the mission of communication, highlighting that the secret of constructive speech is found first in “Jesus, the first communicator,” and second in Patriarch Hoayek’s vision of the press as a powerful soft force and a mirror of society, centered on his testament: “Love of the homeland,” calling on journalists to be guardians of identity and builders of hope.
Fr. Dr. Georges Yarek, head of the Patriarchal Youth Pastoral Office in Bkerké and its spiritual guide, then delivered a profound reflection titled “Media as a Human and National Mission.” He drew inspiration from Patriarch Hoayek, a statesman and thinker who early recognized the soft power of media and journalism. Fr. Yarek emphasized that Hoayek was never a passive observer of cultural and journalistic revival, but a staunch defender of freedom of expression and free pens. He recalled Hoayek’s media diplomacy at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference to advocate for Lebanon’s independence, and highlighted his 1930 pastoral letter “Love of the Homeland,” presenting journalism as a guiding moral force rather than a commercial enterprise. He warned against ideological “poisons” such as incitement and rumors that fracture society, and called for an ethical media charter based on constructive criticism, defense of the oppressed, and commitment to the common good, national unity, and shared citizenship beyond narrow identities.
Sister Micheline Mansour then moderated an interactive panel discussing contemporary media challenges and the protection of constructive freedom of expression. The discussion revisited Hoayek’s thought to explore how journalists can balance freedom with responsibility, reconcile speed with ethics, and use media to inspire hope among youth rather than merely reporting crises.
In a practical initiative, members of the media committee (Sonia Semrani, Christina Bashara, and Joseph Khalil) led an activity where journalists were given white cards to write their personal interpretations of a “Media Ethics Charter” inspired by Hoayek’s vision. These cards were assembled into a mosaic symbolizing a shared commitment and were later presented as an offering during the Divine Liturgy.
Participants then toured the historic monastery and its tranquil surroundings before concluding with a Divine Liturgy in the monastery church, offered for journalists and their families, for the peace of Lebanon, and in thanksgiving for the beatification journey of Patriarch Hoayek.
At the end of the liturgy, Secretary-General Elias Kosseifi delivered a speech expressing gratitude to the Minister of Information, Dr. Paul Morcos, and to the media community as true partners in conveying truth and hope. He particularly thanked Ms. Naya Fadoul Nasr for her dedication in building bridges with the press, as well as Fr. Georges Yarek, the religious sisters (Sister Micheline Mansour and Sister Lamis Qallouch), and all members of the organizing committees. The day concluded with a “Meal of Love” lunch in an atmosphere of fraternity, joy, and hope.
Participants left the monastery carrying renewed hope inspired by this exceptional experience, affirming that the responsible word will always remain the light that illuminates the path of youth and guides the mission of journalists in building a homeland of love, peace, and stability.
