Lebanon's top Christian cleric stepped up criticism of Hezbollah and its allies without naming them on Sunday, saying Lebanese rejected being isolated from their allies and driven into decline.
For the second sermon in a row, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai stressed the importance of Lebanon's neutrality, implicit criticism of Hezbollah over its support for Iran in conflicts with Gulf Arab states.
His last two sermons have been seen to mark a shift to a more openly critical stance against the policies of both Hezbollah and its ally President Michel Aoun.
Both back the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
Rai said Lebanese "rejected any ... parliamentary majority messing with the constitution ... and Lebanon's model of civilisation, and that it isolate it from its brothers and friends ... and that it move it from abundance to want and from prosperity to decline".
Lebanon's crisis is rooted in decades of state corruption and bad governance by the sectarian ruling elite.
Hezbollah's opponents say it shoulders blame as its alliance with Iran has led Gulf Arab states that once supported Lebanon to keep their distance, closing off an important source of aid.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has called on Lebanon to look east as it seeks help fix the economy, though he said last week this does not mean the country should cut itself from the rest of the world.
Reuters
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