Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, the leader of the Maronite Catholic Church, has issued a caution against a “political and sectarian” tone in the investigation of the massive August explosion that killed 200 people and devastated much of the city of Beirut. Some have seen the indictment of three former Lebanese government ministers as a bid to unsettle the delicate balance between Christian and Muslim factions. The cardinal insisted: “We do not cover for anyone nor defend anyone.”