The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik: A Tribute To Edmond Rizk For The Donation Of His National Archives

Web Release

10-05-2025

The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) honored H.E. Edmond Rizk during a tribute ceremony in the John Paul II Amphitheater, at the invitation of Most Reverend Father Abbot Hady Mahfouz, superior general of the Lebanese Maronite Order (OLM) and chancellor of USEK, and Father Talal Hachem, president of USEK to mark the donation of Rizk's personal archive to the University library.
The ceremony was held in the presence of Lebanese President, General Joseph Aoun, and First Lady Neemat Aoun represented by His Excellency the Minister of Information, Dr. Paul Morcos; Former President Michel Sleiman; the Prime Minister, Dr. Nawaf Salam, represented by his wife, Ambassador Sahar Baassiri Salam; the two former First Ladies, Solange Gemayel and Mouna Haraoui; the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon, Elias Bou Saab; the former Prime Minister, Tammam Salam; the Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, represented by Archbishop Boulos al-Sayah; the Grand Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, represented by Sheikh Muhammad Assaf; the Sheikh Akl of the Druze Unitarian Community, Dr. Sami Abi Al-Muna, represented by Dr. Nazih Abu Shahin; the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Youssef Rajji; representatives of former Prime Ministers; Mrs. Bahia Hariri, the leader of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, Sheikh Sami Gemayel; the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Lebanon, Walid Bukhari, the Mufti of Tripoli and the North, Sheikh Muhammad Imam; in addition to a number of former ministers, current and former members of parliament, party leaders and their representatives, diplomatic, judicial, spiritual, union, party, military, security, political, municipal, and media figures and their representatives, the family of the honoree, and the people of his region, Jezzine…
This unique event pays tribute to a man who has dedicated his life to speech, determination, and Lebanese sovereignty, and his donation of valuable archives to pass to future generations. Indeed, it is a tribute to a rich national and cultural journey of over six decades during which Edmond Rizk occupied various public positions, including Lebanese MP for over 24 years, and holding different portfolios in governments at various periods, and being a direct witness and player in crucial moments in Lebanon's recent history.
Testimonials and Documentary
The journalist Walid Abboud was the master of ceremony, presenting and moderating the event, which offered an array of testimonies from important national and intellectual personalities. In order of appearance: Fr. Professor Georges Hobeika, President of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), H.E. Mr. Rashid Derbas, Dr. Mona Fayad, H.E. Mr. Joseph Hachem, Mrs. Hayat Arslan, H.E. Dr. Adnan Al-Sayed Hussein, H.E. Mr. Abbas El Halabi, and Dr. Nizar Younis.
The ceremony also included a documentary highlighting Rizk's rich career in the fields of journalism, legislation, politics, and national service, where he left his unique mark.
Rizk
At the end of the ceremony, Mr. Edmond Rizk, in a moving speech, recalled the different stations journey, putting forward crucial moments in his personal and public life. He said: 'I am the son of the Maronite Lebanese Order, the man of its monastery, the student of its school, and the teacher in its institute. I am proud of this belonging.'
Rizk portrayed time, comparing it to a mirror that reflects clear vision and rooted conviction, emphasizing that his Lebanese Christian affiliation was never hermetic, but that it was lived as a deep faith in the Lebanese national partnership and respect for pluralism. He said, 'For 82 years, since my early teens, my constructive integration into my Lebanese Arab identity and Christian faith has been an entity based on the mutual recognition and responsible partnership.'
Rizk also spoke of his long experience as a parliamentarian and his political background, emphasizing his attachment to the principles of the Constitution and the National Accord Document signed in Taef in 1989, as well as his refusal to participate in any power that violates constitutional rules or that is incompatible with the principles of jurisdiction and justice. He said, 'I was a member of Parliament for a quarter of a century and I did not vote on any law that was unconstitutional or unfair…. I have put everything into the rule of law, justice, and dignity.'
Despite all his personal pain and suffering, he remained resilient, a witness to freedom, sovereignty, and independence for the country.
At the end of his speech, he presented his personal archives, a repertoire of seventy years of experience in public affairs and intellectual output, reflecting various periods and key events, as a gift to the youth of Lebanon for easy access to serve for research and contemplation to document an eternal national memory, and praising the role of the Maronite Lebanese Order and the USEK in preserving and protecting the national memory.
Archives
It should be noted that the personal archives of Edmond Rizk, donated to the USEK Library, include a rich wide spectrum of documents, including over 80 hours of voice recordings, over 200 videos, and thousands of documents, articles, interviews, and other writings documenting the modern political, social, and cultural history of Lebanon. This archive has been carefully collected and grouped over the years by the Rizk family. USEK, thanks to its technical equipment and its specialized team at the Phoenix Center for Lebanese Studies (PCLS), will work on digitizing and classifying this archive for free access to the public.