Maronite History

The Maronites and Lebanon

Who are the Maronites?
Where did they come from?
How was the Maronite Church founded?
What are the connections between the Maronites and Lebanon?

These questions and many others have been repeatedly asked by many youths and adults who have not been introduced to the history of the Maronites.

Kadishat, under the direction of Rev Fr Antoine Tarabay, will republish over the next few issues, a series of articles that The Word, the parish magazine that the parish use to issue in the nineties, published.

Topics will be:

1 Lebanon in the Bible
2 Lebanon and the church before the Maronites
3 Maronites: indigenous Lebanese descendants of the Phoenicians
4 From paganism to Christianity from Adoun to Maroun
5 The foundation of the Maronite Church
6 Maronites first Patriarch
7 Lebanon for the Maronites
8 The struggle to keep the right faith
9 The Maronites’ Spirituality: a journey to in seeing
10 The Maronites’ liturgy: Awaiting the second coming of the Lord

“It is our intention to look at some interesting events, people and facts that have coloured our past and formed what we proudly call our Maronite history. From this basis we can know our roots and try to learn from the past to help us in understanding the direction we wish to go in the future.”


 >>>

Saint Maroun (+410)
Feast Day February 9

"Historia Religiosa", written by Theodoret of Cyrrhus around 440 A.D. is our only source on St. Maroun's biography. The author describes the life of hermits in Cyrrhus and vicinity. In chapter 16 the author mentions that St. Maroun was one of those hermits. He had a tremendous influence on his disciples.

The diocese of Cyrrhus is in northern Syria. In those days, the Romans had divided Syria into three administrative regions: Syria Prima (Ca.le-Syria), Syria Secunda (Salutaris) and Syria Tersa (Euphratia) with Antioch, Apamea, and Hierapolis (or Membej) as their capitals respectively. The regions between south of Apamea and the southern Lebanese borders were divided into two parts: Lebanese Phoenicia with Homs and then Damascus - as the metropolis, and Maritime or coastal Phoenicia with Tyre as the metropolis. The Diocese of Cyrrhus, with Theodoret as its bishop, was west of Euphratia. Cyrrhus was at a distance of two days north east of Antioch and about 70 kms north west of Aleppo.

This diocese seat was Antioch founded by St. Peter prior to his departure to Rome. Theodoret mentions that when St. Maroun decided to lead a life of isolation, he went to a rugged mountain halfway between Cyrrhus and Aleppo. There was a huge pagan temple for god Nabo of which was derived the name of the mountain and the neighbouring village Kfarnabo.

St. Maroun consecrated the temple for divine christian worship. The pattern of his life had a great influence on his disciples who followed suit and were "as plants of wisdom in the re-gion of Cyrrhus"

St. Maroun's sainthood became known throughout the Empire. St. John Chrysostom sent him a letter around 405 A.D. expressing his great love and respect and asked St. Maroun to pray for him.

St. Maroun died around 410 A.D. and willed to be buried in St. Zabina's tomb in Kita in the region of Cyrrhus. However, his will was not executed because people from different villages wanted to have him buried in their towns. Theodoret's description of St. Maroun's burial place points to the populous town of Barad in the proximity of Kfarnabo. A huge church was built in that town around the beginning of the fifth century A.D. (25).

Inside this church there was a sarcophagus, which possibly contained St. Maroun's body. According to a Maronite tradition, the followers of St. Maroun carried the relics of the Saint, especially the skull, to St. Maroun's Monastery or "Beit Maroun" built in 452 A.D. between Hama and Aleppo in Syria.
The skull was carried to St. Maroun's Monastery in Kfarhai, Batroun - Lebanon around the turn of the eighth century. Patriarch Douaihy mentions: "When Youhanna (John) Maroun settled in Kfarhai, he built an altar and a monastery after St. Maroun's name and put St. Maroun's skull inside the altar to heal the faithful. That's why the monastery is called "Rish Mro" (Syriac) meaning "Maroun's head".

Later, St. Maroun's skull was taken to Italy. In 1130 A.D. one of the Benedictine monks came tc the region. This monk was the rector of the Cross Afonastery near Foligno-Italy. During his visit he heard about St. Maroun's skull, and upon returning home he publicized St. Maroun's virtues. As a matter of fact, a church was built after St. Maroun's name in Foligno. The Bishop of Foligno carried the skull to the city in 1194 A.D. and put it in the church of the diocese. The faithful in the city made a statue of silver for St. Maroun and put the skull in it. During his stay in Italy in 1887, Bishop Youssef el-Debs was given some relics of St. Maroun's skull by the Bishop of Foligno.

The Maronite movement reached Lebanon when St Maroun's first disciple Abraham of Cyrrhus who was called the Apostle of Lebanon, realised that there were many non-Christians in Lebanon, so he set out to convert them to Christianity by introducing them to the way of St Maroun. The followers of St Maroun, both monks and laity, always remained faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (1)

“Lebanon in the Bible (1)”

What does the word Lebanon mean?

The Hebrew word for “Lebanon” in the old Testament is “Lefanon” and the Greek word is “Libanos”. There are two meanings for the word “Lebanon” and its origin: the first one from the word “Laban” which means white and this applies to her mountains which are covered in snow for most of the year (Jeremiah 18، 14); and the second is from the word “Liboona” which means frankincense (the most precious incense in the world) which applies to the pleasing aroma of the cedars، pines and spruce trees of her forests.
The Greek word “Libanos” takes both meanings; whiteness and frankincense. The word “Lebanon” then in either Hebrew or Greek has a meaning which beautifully applies to the nature of the land described.

How many times is the word “Lebanon” mentioned in the Holy Bible?

In reality the Holy Bible does not have one book about Lebanon, but if everything mentioned in the total of its books about Lebanon were to be combined into one book they would form one of the biggest books of the Holy Bible.

The word “Lebanon” is mentioned in the Holy Bible 70 times, the “cedars” 75 times, the Lebanese cities of Tyre 59 times and Sidon 50 times. The Holy Bible mentions around 35 cities and villages and 10 areas all located in Lebanon.

There are 10 figures that are spoken of in the Holy Bible from Lebanon. All of these references do not take into account all the times Lebanon is referred to indirectly with adjectives such as “the mountain”، “the forest”، “the king’s paradise”،

“Phoenecia”، “Canaan” and “the pride of the Jordan”. Also mentioned are many of the false gods worshipped by the people in Lebanon in Old Testament times its colonies its people, animals, trade، resources, production and civilization.

All of this is mentioned in the pages of the Holy Bible. This makes the Holy Bible not only a religious text، but also an invaluable historical textbook to help us understand the history of people of the Near East in various stages of Old Testament times and some of the important historical events in Lebanon’s ancient history.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (2)

“Lebanon in the Bible (2)”

How is the Holy Bible a meaningful study about Lebanon ?
The Holy Bible has a meaningful study about Lebanon in the following ways:

Historically: the verses of the Bible show very important facts about Lebanon.
The greatness of the Lebanese cities “TYRE” & “SIDON” and the spread of the Phoenician trade and marine activities around. · the diffusion of the Phoenician culture and worshipping among the Jews. · building and decorating the temple of Jerusalem from the Cedars of Lebanon . · the genealogy of the Messiah to the Pheonicians. · the visits of Jesus to South Lebanon. · the spread of early Christianity in Lebanon.

Geographically: the Holy Bible describes Lebanon as a white snowy mountain, covered by forests releasing strong and pleasant odours, which are lead by the Cedar trees: the source of pride for all kings and the desirable tree for all powerful people.

This mountain is a 2 mountain chain, one is eastern and the other is western, and the borderlines of Lebanon which are described in the Bible comform with her current geographical situa-tion.

Culturally the bible speaks highly of “houram” the skilled Lebanese tradesman who decorated the temple of Jerusalem and made it a masterpiece of beauty.

The Bible talks about HIRAM the King of Tyre and how he taught King Solomon and his people building houses, sailing, commerce and investment. King Solomon himself is grateful for some of his wisdom to HIRAM who helped him in expanding his knowledge.

Theologically: the Bible shows that the Jews were highly influenced by the Phoenician religious rites. The Holy Bible alludes twice of how the citizens of Tyre had liked to idolize themselves and their rulers. Concerning Jesus and the Church the Holy Bible talks about the final King Jesus symbolizing Him by the Cedar tree and illustrates how the crowd of people from South Lebanon used to come to Him listening to His teaching and believing in Him. The Holy Bible also indicates that Lebanon was the first place welcoming the early persecuted Christians and the first location after Palestine in founding Christian churches.

Moral: The Bible points out a negative picture about the international trade of the Lebanese city of Tyre accusing her people of treating unjustly the consumers. But on the other side the Bible mentions a positive aspect on the religious indulgence which existed in Lebanon: the King HIRAM accepted to take part in building Solomon’s God temple, the Prophet Elia took Lebanon as refuge, Jesus himself came to South Lebanon for a rest when the Jews and the Pharisees resisted him.

It is in Lebanon where religion is openness not fanaticism and the Lebanese-Phoenician traditions were characterized by sacrifice, universal peace and love among people regardless of their race, language or other considerations.

Eschatologically The Holy Bible describes Lebanon as charming greenland with nature plentiful of delightful water; a place stimulus to inspirations to the Prophets of the Holy Bible. They saw Lebanon as a small picture of the paradise and the desired land for the suffered nations and hope.

What would all these mean to us ?
Being Lebanese Maronite, definitely all the richness, density and the glorious picture which the Bible displays about Lebanon must mean a lot to us: It should be our first responsibility and duty to reflect to the whole world that glorious image which is described in the Bible about Lebanon.

Finally there should be no fear about Lebanon lapsing in both tradition and Christianity. The Holy Bible contains between its covers all the good things about Lebanon which are immortal as God and men. The Holy Bible is an eternal book which carries the name Lebanon for ever.

Reference for this article:
Rev Khalaf, G.E. (1985) Lebanon In The Holy Bible, Beirut, Dar Manhal Al-Hayat.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (3)

“Lebanon and the Church before the Maronite (1)”

Lebanon was the first country to welcome the church, and the Lebanese were the first people to receive the promise of salvation which originated in Palestine.

What were the reasons for this?

The reasons for this are: Geographical: Palestine the country where Jesus lived is linked to Lebanon without any natural obstacles. 

Historical: Jesus preached and performed some of His miracles in South Lebanon and Galilee. Our Lord lived in Galilee which was dominated by the Can’anite-Phoenician race since the days of Isaiah. 

Cultural: Christianity was not alien to the inhabitants of Lebanon and was not drastically different from some of the ancient Lebanese beliefs. Because of its natural, intellectual and cultural characteristics, the ancient indigenous of Lebanon were the most likely to accept Christianity following its initiation in Palestine.

Lebanon as a refuge for the persecuted church

When the disciples carried out their mission, persecution began. St. Stephen the first Christian martyr was stoned by the Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 7: 55 -60). Persecution of the early Christians forced some followers to seek refuge in Lebanon around 34 A.D. (Acts 7:19). 

There is no doubt that the early persecuted Christians were highly welcomed by the Lebanese as they welcomed Jesus before them and shared together the same faith. Moreover, it is mentioned in Acts that while St. Paul was returning to Jerusalem from his 3rd apostolic journey, boarded at Rhodes a ship ready to sail for Phoenicia. Loading at Tyre, he found a substantial Christian community there (Acts 21: 1-7). 

By reading these verses we can notice clearly that Christianity was implanted in the Phoenician capital at the beginning of the apostolic era. Christianity also spread in Sidon as it had in Tyre. In Acts it is stated that St. Paul was allowed, on his way to Rome as a prisoner around 60 A.D., to meet his friends in that city. (Act 27: 3-4).

Lebanon is between Antioch and Jerusalem

What helped the growth of the church throughout the coastal Lebanese cities is their location on the way between Jerusalem (the mother & first church) and Antioch (second capital of the Christian faith). The disciples had to pass through Lebanon on their way from Jerusalem to Antioch in the north and vice versa. So after Tyre and Sidon, Christianity spread throughout the coastal Lebanese cities. St. Libby Otadaos, known as Judas (one of the 12 Apostles) came to Beirut after Jesus's ascension and preached Christianity. 

He built a church in Beirut and was martyred and buried in the city. Pope St. Clement I (88-89 A.D.), the disciple of St. Peter revealed that St. Peter himself appointed John-Mark as Bishop of Byblos and Maron or Maronos as Bishop of Tripoli, as well as designating a Bishop for Beirut.

Next Sunday “Lebanon and the Church before the Maronite (2)”

Did the Lebanese Bishops participate in any of the early church councils?

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (4)
“Lebanon and the Church before the Maronite (2)”

Did the Lebanese Bishops participate in any of the early church councils?
The disciples of Jesus founded the first church of Lebanon. The bishops of the coastal Lebanese cities continued the task in organising the affairs of their parishioners, clarified the dogmas of the new faith, and had a great influence in settling some of the matters of Christianity.

Examples can be given: The Bishop of Tyre, Casius, participated in the Niccea Council (197 A.D.) and met to determine the date of Easter. Marinus succeeded Casius and was described by the first church historian Eusebe as: “the most brilliant of the bish-ops of the orient". Zeinoun I, Bishop of Tyre, participated in the Ecumenical council of Niccea (325 A.D.) which discussed the question of equality of the Son and the Father in essence. Zeinoun II, attended the council of Constantinople (381 A.D.) which emphasised the dogma of the Niccean faith and con-firmed the divinity of the Holy Spirit. Beirut played on important role in the history of Christianity and was described during the Roman era as the "Mother of Laws". It became one of the most important centers for theological studies in the Christian world.

Where is the first cathedral of Christianity?
The cathedral of the Lebanese city Tyre is the first cathedral of Christianity. Paulinos (Bishop of Tyre who became head of the Antioch church in 337 A.D.) began in 314 A.D. to build the Great cathedral of Tyre. Eusebe's description of this cathedral is the oldest description available of a Christian church. In 1125 A.D., the crusaders built St. Mark's Church over the ruins of this cathedral.

So the spread of Christianity in the Lebanese coastal cities and also the Bekaa continued in spite of the persecutions by the Roman emperors against the followers of the new faith during the first 300 years of Christianity.

Do these indicate anything to us?
All of these events show clearly that Christianity is deep rooted in Lebanon. The Lebanese were generous in offering the church martyrs and saints in order to protect the seed planted and nurtured by Jesus Himself and His disciples, such as St. Thalaos of Mount Lebanon (284 A.D.) St. Aquiline of Byblos (293 A.D.), St. Christina of Tyre (300 A.D.), St. Theodosia of Tyre (307 A.D.), St. Kyrillus of Baalbeck (362 A.D.) St. Dorothee, Bishop of Tyre (362 A.D.), and many others.

And what about the Lebanese Mountain?
All historical facts demonstrate that the Lebanese mountain was inhabited and remained completely pagan until the beginning of the 5th century. The mountainous regions were the stronghold of the ancient Lebanese religion. Described as pagan compared to the new faith.

The religion of the ancient Lebanese people, their creeds and rites, were the outcome of their environment and the nature of their land. Consequently, Christianity had spread easily in the cities of the narrow coastal plane and the Bekaa valley be-cause of the great cultural adaptability of the inhabitants. On the other hand, the new faith had to reach the heart land of Lebanese values in the mountain. This made the disciples of St. Maron determined to take upon themselves the conversion of the inhabitants of the mountainous region of Lebanon to Christianity.
 
>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (4)

- Maronites -

Indigenous Lebanese descendant of the Phoenicians (1)

To be able to better understand our Maronite history and identity it is important to look at the religious origin of the Maronite church and also the origin of the Maronite people. Our Rite is 1300 years old but us, as Maronite people date from three million years BC.

What do we understand by Maronitism?

Maronitism is the Christian movement inspired by Saint Maroun, his disciples and his monasteries. The cradle of the Maronite movement was Syria, and from Syria this movement reached Lebanon through the missionary impetus of the disciples and monasteries of Saint Maroun.

Are the Maronite people in Lebanon originated from Syria ?

While the missionaries came from Syria, the people did not. It is completely wrong to say that Lebanon was uninhabited until the persecutions ousted the Maronites from Syria at the beginning of the 6th century compelling them to seek safety in Lebanon. The Syrian origin of the Maronite in Lebanon is religious, not ethnic. The great bulk of the Maronites are indigenous Phoenicians, not Syrians.

Is there any interesting archaeological findings in Lebanon ?

Stone implements have been found at Joubb Jannin aged approximately 300 000 years;

Fish fossils about 75 million years old have been found at Sahil’Alma and in Haqil Byblos;

∙ In 1978, a French archaeological mission discovered in the region of Naher’ El Kabir stone implements dating from 800 000 years;

Other researches and findings leave no doubt about the continued occupation of this region by human being, without interruption for almost 3 million years.

The most interesting archaeological finds was two human skeleton embedded in a rock shelter, one of them was found at Kasr’ Aqil above Antilyas and the other at Antilyas. Both of them turned out to be a child skeleton with strong Mediterranean appearance dating back 30,000 years. This discovery indicates that since at least 30,000 years ago Lebanese people have been of a proper Mediterranean type, independent and different from that of an Arab type. It is therefore contrary to all beliefs to maintain that Lebanese are Arabs.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (5)

- Maronites - 

Indigenous Lebanese descendant of the Phoenicians

Who are the Phoenicians ?

The Phoenicians are the Lebanese people who lived on the land of Phoenicia, this name was applied by the Greeks to the people locally. The Greek word is “PhoinikÚ”, which means “red” is related to the reddish purplish pigment which was invented by the Phoenicians and this colour was used to dye the textiles which they traded in. The Phoenician’s origin derived from the 3 races: 1. The Canaanites, descendants of Ca-naan, the 4th son of Ham (Genesis 5:6); 2. The Aramaeans, descendants of Aram, the 5th son of Shem (Genesis 10:22, 23), 3. The Sea People, a movement of people from Asia minor and the Aegean area who migrated towards Phoenicia (11-14th century BC).

The Phoenicians formed one of the most advanced civilisation in the old times. They were the first systematic traders, the first miners and metallurgists, the boldest mariners and of all nations at the time stood highest in practical arts, architecture and science.

It is in Byblos that the first house on earth was built with stone (5250-3800 BC). It is generally admitted that Phoenicians invented and spread the alphabet to the whole world.

What was the Phoenician Language?

The Phoenician language was Aramaic, it is the language that our Lord Jesus spoke. The Hebrew language was the Phoenician Canaanite dialect spoken by the Jews after they settled in the land of Canaan, that is to say, Phoenicia. The Jews were continuously subject to Phoenician influence in religion, literature, philosophy, arts and architecture. 

The Temple and the palace of King Solomon were built and decorated by the Phoenicians. Most of the Biblical books reveal a clear Phoenician influence. The Bible is Phoenician by its language and style.

So Aramaic, called Syriac since the Christian era, is today the liturgical language of the Maronites. It remained the vernacular language of the Maronites in North Lebanon until the 19th Century. Many place names in Lebanon are Aramaic. It is in the Aramaic language that the books of Daniel and Esra from the Old Testament were written; this is also the case with St. Matthew’s Gospel.

Aramaic, or Syriac, literature includes several hundred writers who have produced thousands of volumes of poetry, philosophy, theology, science and history. It has one of the richest literary traditions in human history.

What is the origin of the Maronites?

The Phoenicians are the ancestors of the Maronites. The three races of the Canaanites, Aramaen and Sea people living together on Lebanon’s land for thousands of years, formed a nation called Phoenicia in the ancient times and Lebanon since the 7th Century AD. 

The Pagan population of Mount Lebanon was converted to Christianity by the disciples of Saint Maroun during the period extending from the 5th to the 7th centuries. 

After the 7th Century, the Lebanese, that is to say the Phoenician population of Mount Lebanon, were called Maronites because they had been converted to Christianity by the Maronite missionaries.

The Word Maronite therefore designates the religious source, not the ethnic and national origin. The population has remained ethnically and nationally the same. The religion changed and with the new religion the name Maronite replaced that of Phoenician.

ref: Rev. Dau, B. (1984) History of the Maronites, Lebanon

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (6)

From Adoun To Maroun (1)

In the last two articles in this series we have seen that Lebanon was the first country to receive the Good News of salvation which originated in Palestine; the coastal Lebanese cities and the Bekaa have embraced Christianity since Apostolic times. But the mountainous regions of Lebanon remained completely pagan until the beginning of the 5th century. This made the disciples of St. Maroun determined to take upon themselves the conversion of the people of that region to Christianity. We have indicated that the Phoenicians are the ancestors of the Maronites and the word Maronite designates the religious source, not the ethnic and national origin.

Who is Saint Maroun?

He is the spiritual father of the Maronite movement, a holy hermit who decided to lead a life of isolation, he went to a rugged mountain half way between Cyrrhus and Aleppo (Northern Syria).

There, St. Maroun consecrated a pagan temple for divine Christian worship. His life was characterised by: (1) Quiet and solitude on the summit of the mountain; (2) Life in open air, exposed to the ele-ments; (3) By freeing himself from the world with continuous prayer and meditation St. Maroun had reached a high degree of wisdom, sanctity and union with God. He had created in Syria and Lebanon the first and a new ascetic and spiritual method of praying which has influenced many followers. His mission was described by Theodoret, (Bishop of Cyrrhus) as: “Plants of wisdom in the region of Cyrrhus.” The conversion of the temple into a Church meant the conversion of the people from paganism to Christianity.

God granted St. Maroun the gift of miracles, people came from near and far to see him, asking cures for both body and soul. St. Maroun’s sanctity became known throughout the Empire. St. John Chrysostom sent him a letter in 405 AD expressing his great love and respect and had asked St. Maroun to pray for him. So St. Maroun was the pioneer, founder and master of a new ascetic way of living in open air. Many who had followed this way of monastic life were guided and trained by him personally. Theodoret mentioned in his book 18 names of St. Maroun’s disciples; 15 were male and 3 were female. Two of St. Maroun’s disciples, St. Abraham the hermit and St. Simon Styllites, worked to convert the people from Paganism to Christianity.

Who is Abraham of Cyrrhus?

St. Abraham (Ibrahim) was a hermit from Cyrrhus, a disciple of St. Maroun who is credited for preaching Christianity into the heart of the ancient Lebanese creed. The village he started in was “Afqa”, the Phoenician name for flowing water.

What do we know about the Ancient Lebanese Rites?

In Afqa there was a great cave, the ancient Lebanese considered it to be the seat of the god El. The river which flowed from the cave was sacred to them and they called it Adon (means lord). A spring which supplements the river had a famous temple for Astarte built over it. Afqa represented the principle of triad (life, fertility and eternal youth) which the Lebanese believed in. Every year the Lebanese used to go on a pilgrimage to Afqa via the Adoun valley to celebrate the death and resurrection of their false god Adoun (Adonis). These festivals were known as the Adonites and were very popular in those times because they expressed fertility and renewed youth.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (7)

From Adoun To Maroun (2)

What sort of plan did St. Abraham use?

St. Abraham had heard that paganism still reigned in that part of Lebanon. He decided to take up the challenge to convert the people in both body and soul. He arrived at the area of Afqa - Akoura, pretending to be a walnut trader. Walnuts were the main produce of that area.

He rented a house where he and his followers prayed and sung divine hymns for four days. When the inhabitants discovered the strangers and heard unfamiliar songs, they organised a meeting of the entire town and decided to suffocate St. Abraham and his companions by putting a large quantity of poisonous powder in their house.

St. Abraham and his friends kept singing and praying. Impressed by their behaviour, the people decided to release them and asked them to leave the town. It was at this time that government tax collectors visited the village to collect taxes.

When they found that the citizens did not have the required amount they mistreated them. St. Abraham was upset at this and promised the tax collectors that he would pay the amount owed by the village - he borrowed the money from a friend of his from Homs to pay the taxes.

The people, amazed at his magnanimity, asked St. Abraham to be their leader. St. Abraham agreed on one condition - that the inhabitants embraced the Catholic faith. Thus the people of the village were converted and built a church and St. Abraham was their priest and leader. After 3 years of preaching he appointed one of his followers to replace him and he decided to return to his hermitage. When Christianity spread in Afqa the Adoun river was changed into the Ibrahim River.

What about St. Simon Styllites?

He was one of St. Maroun’s followers, he decided to live in open air and carried on with an unique monastic life. For 37 years he lived on the top of a 70ft tall pillar, without any shelter, on the hill of Telanissos between Aleppo and Antioch. News of his miracles and sanctity reached the furthest countries of Europe and Asia.

Pilgrims used to visit him seeking counseling and healing. A group of people from the mountains of Lebanon (Jibbe) visited him asking for his blessing and help against the wild beasts which were threatening their lives and their cattle.

St. Simon asked if they were Christians. On receiving a negative answer he recommended to them that they should receive Baptism. They agreed and returned to their villages accompanied by priests, who taught them the Catholic Faith and asked them to place crosses around their villages to protect them against the beasts.

When they did this, the attacks stopped. The crosses were set up in the area of the cedars in North Lebanon, on top of the hills of Tanourine, Hasroun, Hadshit, Becharre, Ehden, Aitou and elsewhere. Even today, the people of Jibbe still pray to St. Simon when their water resources dwindle. Many churches were built in honour of St. Simon in Lebanon - especially in the north. On St. Simon’s feast day the Maronites hold lavish festivals.

What can we deduce from this?

Both stories provide clear evidence that the areas of the Lebanese mountains were populated. With St. Abraham the hermit and St. Simon Styllites, the spiritual dominance over the Lebanese mountains changed gradually from “Adoun to Maroun” - both names in Aramaic mean “The lord.” This dominance originated from the regions Afqa - Akoura, and Jibbe. Thus the greater part of the Lebanese mountains accepted the Catholic faith in the first half of the 5th Century.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (8)

The foundation of the Maronite Church (1)

The Maronites were born from the controversies surrounding the nature of Christ that threatened eastern Christianity between the Council of Ephesus 431 and the 3rd Council of Constantinople 680. Out of the 4 ecumenical councils held between 431 and 680, the one of Chalcedon in 451 is known to be the most important for Maronites, because of its tragic consequences.

What do we understand by the Chalcedonian dogma?

In the year 451, a 4th Ecumenical Council was convened at Chalcedon (Turkey) and declared the dual nature of Jesus Christ - being a full man and God at the same time while being one divine person on earth. This Council professed the dogma of the divinity and humanity of Our Lord. This declaration led to a division in the Church. On one hand there was the Pope in Rome and the Western Church in general, the Patriarch of Constantinople and Byzantine Romans, and the Melkites, and the Maronites following the Diocese of Antioch, all of these Churches confirmed that dogma. On the other hand, there were the Jacobites, Abbyssinians, Copts, Syriac Orthodox and Armenian Gregorians, who had objected and denied this dogma - confirming only the divinity of Jesus Christ. They are called Monophysites.

This schism was not only ideological but also political. A struggle over power manifested especially between Constantinople (the new capital of the aspiring Roman Empire, and Alexandria which was considered as the 2nd seat of Christianity after Rome).

What happened after this council?

In 452 AD, Emperor Marcianus decreed upon the request of Bishop Theodoret and Pope Leon, for a great monastery to be built near the Orontes River north of Hamma (Syria) in order to spread the Chalcedonian dogma. This monastery was the largest and was named after St Maroun (Beit Maroun) which was the cradle of the Maronite Church and was also important among the rest of the Chalcedonian monasteries. The followers of Beit Maroun i.e. the Maronites were strong defenders of the Chalcedonian dogma. This commitment led to conflicts between the Maronites and the Monophysites who solicited the aid of the Byzantine Court. Supported by the Byzantine Emperor Anastase, Bishop Severe became Patriarch of Antioch in 512. He persecuted the followers of the Chalcedonian dogma, namely the monks of Beit Maroun.

While the monks were on a pilgrimage to Jabal Sir-m’an, 350 of them from Beit Maroun were massacred. Their martyrdom is celebrated annually on July 31 by the Maronite and Latin Churches world-wide. This bloody incident in 517 provides the first documents mentioning the Maronites as an organised Maronite group. One may realise the importance of the Maronites and the persecutions they were sustaining because of their Chalcedonian faith as well as their attachment to the See of Rome.

  

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (9)

The foundation of the Maronite Church (2)

How can we explain the formation of the Maronite Hierarchical Church?

There were many factors which contributed to-wards the establishment of the Maronite Church:

1. Spiritual and Monastic leadership: The spiritual movement founded by St. Maroun was very powerful. Many monastic and spiritual centres were formed attracting large lay communities.

2. Theological leadership: The monastery of St. Maroun was the head of the Syriac speaking Chalcedonians. The Syriac language was predominant in the rural areas, while the Greek language was spoken in the cities. Historical documents show that between the years of 517 - 518 AD there were around 50 Chalcedonian monasteries led by the monastery of St. Maroun.

3. Cultural leadership: Before the Arab invasion, Syria was bi-cultural, with Hellenic (Greek) culture predominate in the main cities and the Aramaic or Syriac culture prevailing in the rural regions. The Aramaic speakers were famous in the fields of theology, philosophy, poetry, literature, architecture, painting and other arts. The Maronites were the representatives and leaders of those Aramaic speakers.

4. Aspiration for independence from the Byzantine Empire: The existence of the Hellenic and Byzantine civilisations in Syria, and the indigenous Aramaic and Syriac people had led to rivalry between them. The indigenous Syrians worked hard to bring back their own national civilisation, by freeing it from Greek and other foreign influences. Since the Council of Chalcedon, there had been increased interference of St. Maroun’s monks in church affairs, for the purpose of forming a Syrian church independent of Byzantine influence.The monks with the Syrian people considered that the traditions and constitutions of the Syrian Church had been inherited from Christ, the Apostles themselves and from the successive generations of saints, doctors and martyrs. It was their most sacred duty to preserve the tradition from any intrusion from the Byzantine church and empire.

5. Failure of Constantinople to defend Christianity against the Persians and Arabs: The 2 greatest empires at the time were the Byzantine and the Persian, and they were continuously in a state of war with each other. Syria was located between them and was constantly their battlefield. In 611 - 614 AD, the Persians invaded Syria, occupied Antioch and took over Jerusalem and Palestiine. As a result of these invasions disastrous consequences occurred for the Christians of Syria. 

In Jerusalem alone, the Persians killed 57,000 Christians, arrested Patriarch Zacharias, and took the holy cross. In addition to that, the clergy from the See of Antioch were sent into exile and the Patriarchal See remained vacant for 38 years. From the years 622 to 628, Emperor Heraclius responded with a series of victorious campaigns. But in 636 to 640, the Arabs conquered Syria. The Byzantine army collapsed and the majority of Syria were no longer Christian. This was a major catastrophe for Christianity in the whole Near East.

6. Vacancy of the Patriarchal See of Antioch: Due to the Persian and Arab invasions the Patriarchal See of Antioch remained vacant for more than a 100 years, from 609 to 742.

The Patriarch of Antioch, Anastasisus II, died in the year 609 at the hands of the Jews during the Persian invasion. After him the See remained vacant for 30 years because of the wars between the Byzantine Empire and the Persians and the Arabs. Afterwards, Constantinople started to appoint Patriarchs for Antioch who did not reside in the city. Macedonius, Macarius, Theophanus and Georgius were only holding the title of Patriarch but never came to occupy the Patriarchal See of Antioch and had never fulfilled their pastoral duties. After the death of Georgius in the year 702, Constantinople stopped appointing Patriarchs for Antioch, because it new fully that the Arab Caliphs (rulers who were descendants and successors of Mohammed) would not let them enter Syria. As a consequence the See was left vacant for 40 years.

How the Maronite Church has been formed?

Given all the above reasons, in addition to the critical circumstances in which the Antioch Church found herself in the 7th century there was an urgent need for a good shepherd. Unfortunately, the official Patriarchs which were appointed by the Emperor continued to live in a princely splendour in Constantinople abandoning their flock, and forgetting the example of Christ. So in order to provide the Church in Antioch with a good shepherd, the Maronite people, clergy and monks decided to elect a Patriarch, according to the Antiochene constitutions, who is able to stay with his people and guide, defend and feed them with a divine life. When in 686 the Maronite community elected John Maroun (one of the monks of St. Maroun monastery) a Patriarch of Antioch. It was then that the Maronite Church received its first hierarchical organisation.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (9)

In every stormy day there stand a Patriarch (1)

Antioch is a city where the word of God and the Good News of Jesus Christ was preached in the Early Church. It was the place where the followers of Jesus were first called Christians. It was here that St. Peter founded the See of Antioch and probably spent about 7 years. St. Paul resided in the city. Saints Mark & Barnabas also preached the Good News there. It was one of the primatial Sees of the area. From the 5th Century onward, Antioch, Syria and the whole region suffered a great loss of membership and prestige.

What were the reasons for this?

One reason was that many of the Christians of Syria decided to follow the Monophysite heresy. An important event occurred in the 7th Century that was to have a great effect upon the Christians of Beit Maroun. 

This was the rise of the prophet Mohammed and his followers, the Muslims. Mohammed claimed to have experienced a vision that called him to be prophet of God. He urged the Arabs to worship the one God and to accept him as God’s prophet. 

After many trials, he was successful in conquering Mecca, the Capital of Arabia. Most of Arabia then became Muslim. For several hundred years prior to the time, Syria had first been part of the Roman Empire, and then part of the Byzantine Empire, whose capital was Constantinople. 

In 636 the followers of Mohammed defeated the Byzantine Empire’s army in Syria. Syria then became Muslim land. The first Caliph, Omar, who followed Mohammed after his death was the Conqueror of Syria, and issued anti-Christian legislation which made it difficult for the Maronites to practice their faith. The policy of Islam was to give Christians a choice; either they became Muslims and then be on the same footing as the other Muslims, or to stay Christians but had to pay a high tax, and accept humiliation. Their policy was: ( “Aslem, taslem”, meaning : be Muslim, then you will be safe).

>>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (10)

In every stormy day there stand a Patriarch (2)

Who was the first Maronite Patriarch?

The first Maronite patriarch was St. John Maroun who lived in the 7th Century. He studied at the Convent of St. Maroun and then completed his education in Constantinople. St. John became an outstanding member of his community. 

He was ordained priest and in a few years of priesthood and missionary life converted many to the Catholic faith. He was presented by the French prince Eugene and the French Colony of Antioch to the Pope’s delegate in Syria, who consecrated him Bishop of Batroun, one of the Phoenician cities of Lebanon on the coast between Byblos and Tripoli. Under his guidance, the Maronite Community flourished in a few years increasing in number, power and extension. He was very active in visiting his people throughout his diocese, teaching the Word of God, converting the heretics and sinners and the weak and the sick. In 685 AD,

Lebanon and the whole Near East were afflicted by plague. St. John Maroun used to visit cities and villages healing those who were ill with his prayers. He wrote a special Mass for this purpose which is still celebrated by priests at the time of a plague. 

At the death of Patriarch Theophanis in Constantinople in 686 AD, the Maronites and their allies, compactly organised in a religious, cultural and military force, elected St. John Maroun as Patriarch of Antioch. When he was elected Patriarch of Antioch, St. John Maroun met the delegate of Pope St. Sergius, at Tripoli. (One of the Lebanese coastal cities)/ (Pope St. Sergius, was born in Syria, elected pope 687 AD and died 701 A.D.). Patriarch St. John Maroun accompanied the Pope’s delegate to Rome. In Rome, Pope Sergius confirmed St. John Maroun as Patriarch of Antioch.

Was the election of St. John Maroun legitimate?

It certainly was : 

1) The Maronites did not elect a patriarch against another existing patriarch of Antioch. 

2) They have formed the only Catholic organised presence in the whole diocese of the East between (640 - 742). 

3) The Maronites had simply filled an ecclesiastical vacuum created by a series of heretic Melkite Patriarchs, who were not residing in the city of Antioch. 

4) The frequent inconsistent interference of the emperors in the affairs of the church and the serious upheavals caused by the Muslem impact, gave them another reason to step in, prompted by a sense of urgency, in order to secure Apostolic Succession. 

5) Above all, it was explicitly recognised by the Holy See.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (11)

In every stormy day there stand a Patriarch (3)

Is There a Connection, between the Maronite Patriarchate and That of Antioch, There surely is.

The Maronite Patriarch was elected in order to continue the succession over the Catholic Patriarchate See of Antioch founded by St. Peter the Apostle before he went to Rome. That is why the title of our Patriarch is still: “Patriarch of Antioch and the whole East”, and for this reason the Maronite Patriarch has the right to add Peter to his own name in honour of St. Peter who was the first Patriarch of Antioch. There are 2 main criteria that guided our Patriarchs: purity of faith and survival. Patriarchs changed their Sees directed by the winds of safety.

What is the role and authority of the Maronite Patriarch?

The Patriarch is the supreme head of the Maronite church. His only superior is the Pope.

He carries the title of Patriarch of Antioch and all the East. The Pope carries as one of his titles, Patriarch of all the West. The Pope is superior to the Patriarch of Antioch in matters which concern the whole Catholic church. But in matters concerning only the see of Antioch, the Patriarch is sole arbiter.

The Maronite patriarchs have been known for their piety, their zeal and their saintly life. Some of them were hermits before they became Patriarchs. Persecutions, suffering and martyrdom, were the characteristics of the Maronites and their patriarchs. A lot of them sought refuge during persecutions in caves and grottoes. While others died for their faith or performed miracles. Some others were prominent scholars and writers. One European traveller described them by saying: “Their staffs are of wood, but they themselves, they are of gold”.

What is the final message ?
We should all remember that persecution, suffering and martyrdom were and still are at the heart of Maronite history. Our history has been written in the blood of Martyrs. Maronite survival living in this cursed East was only possible, due to the faith in their own destiny, their clinging to their traditions and their judicious choices they learned to make.

Lamartine a famous poet and French philosopher, who visited Lebanon in 1832, found in the Maronites a potential for the awakening of the whole Levant. Referring to Egypt’s Mohammad Ali, Lamartine quoted: “Egypt has but a man; Lebanon has a people”. This is what we really need now if we are survive.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (12)

Lebanon for the Maronites (1)

As we have mentioned in an earlier article persecution, suffering and martyrdom have been characterising our Maronite history. The Maronites lived, for almost 4 Centuries, in a state of withdrawal, fighting for survival on various fronts, protected and established securely by the rugged landscape of the Leba-nese Massif. Maronite survival could not be possible without adequate military strength. Knowing about the Maradaites is important because they illustrate an eloquent chapter in Maronite military ventures.

Who are the Maradaites?

Between 660 - 690, a militant movement appeared in the mountainous region extending from Amanos and Northern Syria to the mountains of Galilee, with Lebanon as its stronghold. The Byzantines organized this movement to fight the expansion of Islam (Umayyads). 

This militant movement is also called “Jarajima”, named after the city of Jarjouma near Antioch because several of them made their homes there. The word Maradaites come from the word “Mared” which means Giant, because those people were famous for their tall stature and they were great warriors, they knew how to attack and were brilliant at defence. 

The Byzantine historians called them “Marada” and they were known as the “Bronze Shield” of the Byzantine Empire. The Marada formed with the natives of Syria and Lebanon a strong army. The merger of the natives with the non-natives was accelerated because both shared the same language (Aramaic-Syriac), same faith (Chalcedonian) and the same objective of defending their land against the Arabs.

Marada’s Victories.

The Maronite Marada caused tremendous damage to the Umayyads. Mo’ awiya, the Umayyad Caliph, was forced to sign a peace treaty with them and with the Byzantine King in which he agreed to pay a huge ransom (300 golden dinars annually, 50 Arabian horses, and to set free 8,000 Byzantine prisoners).

After the invasion of Syria, the Arabs confronted the Maronites who had dug themselves in the Lebanese mountains, Here, history renders homage to the young and brave Sem’an , a Maronite military leader who attacked and conquered the Muslims in several places, notably Antelias, and at Nahr-elkalb. 

Later, having wisely governed the Kesrouan area, and conquered the Arabs in the Bekaa Valley and along the Coastline, the Moqaddem Sem’an died, he was buried in the village of Baskinta, capital of Kesrouan.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (13)

Lebanon for the Maronites (2)

The Betrayal
When Abdulmalek Bin Marwan became Caliph in 685 the Marada (Maronite) renewed their attacks from the Lebanese mountains against the Umayyads with an army of more than 30،000. By his ingenuity and malice the Muslim Caliph succeeded in creating a schism between the Maronites and the Byzantine rite Christians.

This Caliph made a treaty of peace with the Byzantine Emperor Justin Rhinometre (cut nose) stating that the Emperor would withdraw 12000 of his Maradaite troops from the Lebanese Mountains and that in return the Caliph would pay him 1000 golden dinar per week half the revenues of Cyprus and to offer a horse and a slave per day to the Emperor. He hoped by this to weaken the military potential of the Maronites.

This strategy had some success but the Caliph did not arrive at complete victory the Maradaites recalled by Justin were the “Roum Maradaites” or Byzantines whilst those who remained in Lebanon were the true fighters those of Syrian origin Aramean culture Chalcedonian beliefs and Maronite national heritage. As a result these Maronite Maradaites showed themselves more indestructible and invincible than ever.

This treachery put the Maronites and Christianity under threat and augmented the Maronites sense of independence and desire to liberate the Antioch church from Byzantine influence.


Revenge
In 685 the Patriarch of Antioch Theoplanus died. The Chalcedonian section of the Antioch church elected Youhana (John) Maroun Bishop of Butroun and Mount Lebanon in 676 Patriarch of Antioch. He became the first Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and the 63rd Patriarch of Antioch since St. Peter. The Byzantine Emperor considered this election as a violation of his authority. In addition to that a religious and political conflict arose between the young Emperor Justinian II on one hand and Pope Sergius and patriarch John Maroun on the other hand.

Justinian sent armed forces to Rome to arrest Pope Sergius and to Antioch to capture Patriarch John Maroun. The troops which were sent to Rome were opposed and defeated by the Roman soldiers. St. John Maroun was surprised by the Byzantine attack left Antioch for the Monastery of St. Maroun near Ma’arret’en-Na’aman in Syria.

There were 800 Monks in this convent. The army followed him there destroyed the monastery and the surrounding Maronite villages and killed 500 monks.

St. John Maroun managed to escape to the castle of Smar Jbeil in Lebanon. In his previous diocese in the Batroun area the Patriarch prepared to fight the Emperor’s army.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (14)

Lebanon for the Maronites (3)

Amioun 694

The Emperor was determined to crush the Maronite Marada. The Byzantine troops moved from Syria to Lebanon, the main stronghold of the Maronites. According to Maronite chronicles, the Patriarch’s nephew, Abraham, sent his uncle 12,000 strong army from Syria. They joined the Lebanese Maronites and what was left of the Marada army under the leadership of Prince Massoud. The 2 armies met in 694 and the decisive battle took place at Semar-Gebail (district of Batroun) and in Amyoun (district of al-Kura). The Byzantine army was smashed and their leaders Maurikios and Markianos were killed in this battle. They were buried in Amyoun and Shoueti-Akkar respectively.

Lebanon for the Maronites.

This decisive victory of the Maronites, rallied around the Patriarch John Maroun, most of the population of Lebanon. Patriarch John Maroun was endowed with a militant apostolic spirit, in which he impressed upon the Maronites. Thus Lebanon was established and consecrated as a national and religious home-land for the Maronites, headed by Patriarch John Maroun and his successors. 

To defend this national homeland the Maronite community was organized not only as a hierarchical church but also as a military body and mainly as a agricultural society. 

When in Syria, Patriarch John Maroun resided in Antioch and in St. Maroun Monastery, in Lebanon his residence was in Kfarhai (Batroun’s district) where he built a monastery there, to house the skull of St. Maroun in which he transferred this miraculous relic from St Maroun Monastery in the province of Apamea, Syria.

References:

1- Rev Mahfouz J,(1987), Short History of the Maronite Church, Jounieh, Imp. St Paul.

2- Harb, AK.(1985) Les/the Maronites, Lebanon, Atallah S.A.R.L

 

>>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (15)

Crusaders... 400 years

before the Crusaders

After the fall of the Ummayads and the rise of the Abbassids in 750, and until the first crusade in 1098, the East suffered from chaos and instability. Syria, Lebanon and Palestine became one closed field of battle, the focus of all the intrigues, cross road of the nations, and it even became a prize for all conquerors; taken and retaken by others. The neighboring States (Byzantines, Seljuk, and Fatimids) fought over this land and exchanged control over it several times. It was for about 3 centuries a bloody battleground.


How did the Maronites survive under these circumstances?
Living in this critical situation and in the face of continual struggles, the Maronites fled to the mountains, strengthened their military force, and managed to maintain relative autonomy. The Lebanese mountain became for them a place for freedom. They tilled the land and turned the rugged terrain into a fertile one. This prosperity was also spiritual, many hermits lived in Mount Lebanon, isolated in their caves, continuously praying and glorifying God . The owners of large estates in Lebanon, desiring to become military leaders over the peasants, formed with the encouragement of the clergy, a small Maronite nation with a feudal hierarchy. This nation had a strong patriotic feeling often manifesting itself in times of distress and in support to their Patriarch.


It is worthwhile to mention here that the region became a refuge for the oppressed and persecuted Christians. This persecution engendered the Crusades in 1098.

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (16)

What do we understand by the crusades?

The Crusades were a military campaigns organised by the Christians of Europe to liberate the Holy Land, and in particular the Holy Sepulcher from the Mus-lims who had took hold of it.

In 936 the Muslims pillaged the relics of the Holy Sepulcher and set fire to it. In 1009 the Fatimate Governor of Egypt, Hakim, destroyed thousand of Churches there, including that of the Holy Sepulcher which the Christians had restored. It was a usual yearly parade that Christians from all over the world used to come to Jerusalem during the Holy week of Easter, carrying the cross and banners in the front. But in this particular year Hakim prohibited any such demonstrations, and had the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and other Holy places in Palestine and Egypt demolished stone by stone. By doing this, Hakim gained popularity in the Islamic world. 

The Christians western world was angry at these actions and reacted strongly. It organised a campaign to the East, in order to deliver the Holy Places and also to protect the Christians who where to be found in Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine from the danger of the Muslims; hence the call of the crusaders!!

In all, there were 8 successive campaigns lasting from 1095 to 1291, and stretching over 196 years. 

The idea of Crusade inspired many Princes, Popes, and Bishops who urged their people to join these campaigns.

 

>>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (17)

Crusaders... 400 years before the Crusaders (4)

How can we explain the relations between the Crusaders and the Maronites?

The Maronites welcomed the arrival of the crusaders.

1) They considered them a saving grace for their existence in the middle East which is surrounded on all sides by the Islamic world.

2) The Crusaders themselves considered the presence of the Maronites in this part of the world a blessing. The Maronites had proved to be precious helpers to them, experienced soldiers, and fearless warriors. One can imagine the joy that the Christians of the Lebanese Mountain had, at the arrival of their fellow brothers in the same faith from the west. At that time the Maronites were the only Eastern community still allied to the Holy see after the schism between Rome and the orthodox.

3) It is with the Maronites help, the crusaders were able to find the way to Jerusalem and repossess it. A good number of Maronite soldiers were found among the French who attacked and took the Holy City on 15th July 1099.

4) Thanks to the Crusaders the Maronites were again more able to establish relations with the west. The relation between the Maronite’s Patriarchy and the Papacy in Rome was strengthened. Popes highly praised them, and sent them delegates and missionaries, and officially invoked the presence of their Patriarch to the Lateran Ecumenical Council.

5) The Crusaders highly appreciated the help of the Maronites in delivering the Holy Places, and favoured them. Official historians of the Crusades, had this to say about the Maronites: “a race of people who lived in Phoenicia …they were very strong people, they were great help to our Christians” ; “ Eastern Catholics …descending the mountains crying French! The French!.. These were the Maronites who had begun the Crusades some 400 years before, and who came enthusiastically to offer guides and fighters”. The Maronites were second only to the Europeans in the Crusader State.

6) Kings of the Latin countries wrote to them as if they were writing to their own people. The privileges of their Patriarchs were utterly respected.

7) In 1250, the Maronites assisted St Louis, King of France, who led the 8th and last crusade with 25000 men. The King wrote to the Maronites expressing his gratitude, love and admiration for their loyalty to the successors of St Peter. The King also granted France’s support to the Maronites.

 

>>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (19)

The Years of Difficulties

During the thirteenth century, Lebanon knew some decades of relative peace. The Maronites were even able to undertake the construction of a number of Churches, an activity which Patriarch DOUAIHY recorded as follows: 'At that time, Christianity spread throughout the East and was openly proclaimed. Bronze bells were rung to summon the faithful to prayer and to the sacred services. 

Those who received the out-pourings of God's grace founded convents and built Churches, for the people yearned to serve the Almighty and to perform good deeds’. Father Basil of Besharri had three daughters: Mariam, Thecla, and Salomeh. Mariam constructed the shrine of St Saba in Besharri in Mount Lebanon; Salomeh, that of St Daniel in Hadath; and Thecla, that of St George in Bkerkasha as well as two churches in Koura..' (The Annals, 104)

What happened after the defeat of the Crusaders?

By 1291 the Crusaders were all but defeated, but the relationship that they had made with the Maronites was to endure. These Christians of Lebanon were most responsive to western influence and in the Latin states they were accorded the rights and privileges pertaining to Latin bourgeoisie including the right to own land. Some Maronites followed the Crusaders to Cyprus where their descendants make up a healthy Maronite community.

It is estimated that during the Crusades 50,000 Maronites fell in battle under the standard of the Cross.

After the departure of the Crusaders, the Maronites came under attack from the Mamlouks. They suffered every humiliation, while their Churches were set on fire, their villages plundered, and their vineyards destroyed.

”On Monday, the second day of Muharram, Akush Pasha, governor of Damascus, marched at the head of a military force into the mountains of Kesrouan. The soldiers invested these mountains and, having dismounted scaled the slopes from all sides.

”The governor invaded the hills, and his soldiers trampled underfoot a land whose inhabitants had believed it impregnable. The enemy occupied the heights, destroyed the villages, and wreaked havoc in the vineyards. They massacred the people and made prisoners of them. The mountains were left deserted.” (The Annals, 288)

The Patriarchs themselves had their share of the general misfortune, suffering as much as any. One was tortured, another harassed, another compelled to flee, another put on trial, and yet another burnt alive.

”In 1283 Patriarch Daniel of Hadshit in person led his men in their defence against the Mamlouk soldiery, after the latter had assaulted the Jubbeh of Bsharri. He succeeded in checking their advance before Ehden for forty days, and the Mamlouks captured Ehden only after they had seized the Patriarch by a ruse. ”In 1367, patriarch Gabriel was conveyed from Hjoula, his home district where he had taken refuge during the persecutions, down to Tripoli, where he was burnt alive at the stake. His tomb still stands in Bab el Ramel, at the gates of Tripoli.” ”In 1402, there was great hardship. Many of the dead remained without burial, many of which died of hunger. It was a tragedy without parallel.” (DOUAIHY, The Annals, 338).

References

http://phoenicia.org. & http://www.opuslibani.org.lb/

 

>>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (19)

The Years of Difficulties (2)

Never gave up hope

Few Churches have survived from this period, but they testify to the renewal of the mission in Jesus Christ, which began when he trod the soil of Lebanon. The priests administered the sacraments and preached the word of God. Despite the dangers they faced daily the Maronites did not loosely give up their faith or weaken their determination to survive, no matter what was thrown at them, they would not be assimilated. 

Not only did they openly and defiantly practice their Christianity but managed to keep contact with Rome throughout the difficult years.

The flee to Qannoubine

Pope Eugene IV (1431-47) invited the Maronite Patriarch to attend the Council of Florence in person, the Patriarch however, sent Fra Juan as his delegate, being motivated by concern about the risks of the voyage. Fra Juan had an audience with the Pope, at that time presiding the works of the Council, after which he returned to Lebanon bearing the Pallium.

'When the worthy friar reached Tripoli, there was a large crowd who came to greet him; unfortunately however, there were also soldiers sent by the governor to arrest him, the official in question being persuaded that the Christians had met in Florence to prepare the launching of another crusade against the Muslims of Syria. On learning of the envoy's misfortune, the Patriarch sent emissaries to reassure the governor about Fra Juan's intentions. 

After having pocketed a substantial bribe, the governor set his prisoner free after the latter had promised to return after completing his mission. Fra Juan made his way up to Our Lady of Mayfuk, which was then the seat of the Patriarch, and delivered him the Pallium together with a letter from Pope Eugene IV. But he then set off for Rome again, this time passing through Beirut and ignoring his earlier promise to the governor of Tripoli, who naturally enough flew into a rage and sent his soldiers to arrest both the Patriarch and other leading personalities. 

Finding nobody at the patriarchal residence, he plundered and set fire to the houses around and even killed a number of the local inhabitants. Those of his men who continued the search for the Patriarch destroyed the monastery, killing some of the monks and taking the others in chains to Tripoli. The Patriarch was obliged to leave the monastery of Mayfuk and from then on lived under the protection of Jacob, Mukaddam of Besharri.' (The Annals, 210).

When finally they found themselves in a situation, which knew no other solution, the Maronites had to move Patriarchal seat further into the mountain, the chosen place was the valley of Kadisha, Syriac or the Sacred Valley.

References

http://phoenicia.org. & http://www.opuslibani.org.lb/

 

>>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (20)

The Years of Difficulties (3)

Before Qannoubine, The monks lived in inaccessible and trackless mountain fastness and considered themselves happy if they were able to live in peace among their faithful people, treasuring the Christian teaching that had been handed down to them. They did not even have any fixed Patriarchal seat. They went from Yanuh down to Mayfuq, then to Lehfed, to Habil, back to Yanuh, to Kfifan, to Kfarhay, to Kafre, to Yanuh again, and to Hardine, and to Mayfuq again. Thirty-four Patriarchs resided in the region of Jbeil or Batroun, through the troubled times, they were:

John-Maron II, Gregory, Stephen, Mark, Eusebius, John, Joshua, David, Gregory, Theofelix, Joshua, Dumith, Isaac, John, Simon, Joseph El Gergessi (1110-1120), Peter (1121-1130), Gregory of Halate (1130-1141), Jacob of Ramate (1141-1151), John (1151 -1154), Peter (1154-1173), Peter of Lehfed (1173-1199), Jeremiah of Amshit (1199-1230), Daniel of Shamat (1230-1239), John of Jaje (1239-1245), Simon (1245-1277), Daniel of Hadshit (1278-1282), Jeremiah of Dmalsa (1282-1297), Simon (1297-1339), John (1339-1357), Gabriel of Hjula (1357-1367), John (1367- 1404), John of Jaje (1404-1445).

We note the tradition which includes the name of the village which the monk has come from and that before the 12th century they had no villages mentioned because it took a while for the community to settle down in properly formatted villages. The Maronite Monks still follow the tradition of linking the name of the Monk to the village that he came from.

The Sacred Valley
As one advances into the deep-cut valley of Kadisha, one is surrounded by mountains towering over the gorge, leaving only a patch of the sky visible over-head, it is all crag and mountain rock, soaring heights and plunging depths. It is a land still bearing the imprint of its Creator, and is a source of revelation and inspiration to action. If one looks down from the shoulder of one of the great mountains into the three-thousand-foot depths of the gorge below, one is over-whelmed by a sense of power, and one wants to seize some twisted tree- trunk or jutting crag so as not go falling into the vast space between plunging cliffs. One European traveller recounted how the Patriarch, like a second Moses risen from the pages of the Old Testament, guided his people from his austere re-treat among the rocks.

Our Lady of Kannoubine was where the Patriarch took refuge during the period of great hardship, which lasted 383 years, it was the seat of 24 Maronite Patriarchs from1440 to1823, they were: John of Jaj 1440-1445, Jacob of Hadeth1445-1468, Joseph of Hadeth 1468-1492, Symeon of Hadeth 1492-1524, Moussa Akari of Barida 1524-1567, Michael Rizzi of Bkoufa 1567-1581, Sarkis Rizzi of Bkoufa 1581-1596, Joseph Rizzi of Bkoufa 1596-1608, John Makhlouf of Ehden 1608-1633, George Omaira of Ehden 1633-1644, Jo-seph Halib of Akoura 1644-1648, John Bawab of Safra 1648-1656, George Riz-kallah of Bseb'el 1656- 1670, Stephen Douaihy of Ehden 1670-1704, Gabriel of Blaouza 1704-1705, Jacob Awad of Hasroun 1705-1733, Joseph Dergham Khazen of Ghosta 1733-1742, Symeon Awad of Hasroun 1743-1756, Toubia El Khazen of Bekaata Kanaan 1756-1766, Joseph Stephan of Ghosta 1766-1793, Michael Fadel of Beirut 1793-1795, Philip Gemayel of Bikfaya 1795-1796, Jo-seph Tyan of Beirut 1796-1808, John Helou of Ghosta 1808-1823.

All of those named above were God-fearing men, servants of their people. The valley stands witness to their holiness and the sincerity of their quest for God through austerity and frugality. People said of them, 'Their crosses are made of wood, but their hearts are made of gold.'

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (21)

The Years of Difficulties (4)

How did the Maronite reacted in the hardship years?
The hardships endured by the Maronites were not entirely to their disadvantage. Their sufferings united the people under their leaders, in turn under the authority of the Patriarch. The Mukaddam of Bsharri was the chief of this whole region and he established some as-semblance of order however people constantly feared for their lives, a report made by a traveller who visited Kannoubine in 1475 states:

'The Maronite nation has lived under occupation enduring continuous oppression and tyranny. All over Lebanon one finds ruin, tears, and terror. Under the pretext of gathering a certain tax called the Gezia, the authorities strip the peasants of all their belongings and beat them with sticks, and torture them in order to extract from them all that they possess. Many would have perished had not their aged patriarch, Peter son of Hassan, come to their rescue. Terrified by the perils that threatened his people, the Patriarch gave away all the revenues of the Church to satisfy the rapacity of the tyrants. The door of the patriarchal monastery was sealed, and the Patriarch sometimes had to hide in caves as did Popes Urban and Sylvester.' (Marcellin de Civezza, His-toire universelle des missions franciscaines, Paris 1858, vol. 3, p. 209)

In Wadi Kannoubine the Maronites had no need to be urged to pray. Wadi Kannoubine is in itself an invitation to the forgetfulness of self, to meditation, and to prayer, an invitation that the Maronites did not refuse. Some of them felt the need to live a life more fully de-voted to prayer; many men and women sought God away from the haunts of men, and soon the caves in the valley became the retreats of hermits devoted to the inner life of union with the Creator.

The Maronites at that time were always under the threat of famine through failure of the crops. They were also under the threat of attack on their persons whenever they went out to their fields but regardless they still convey the message of the Gospel. They made such progress in virtue that in 1515 Pope Leo could write them a letter of encouragement in which he said: 'You have acted without allowing the persecutions and the hardship inflicted on you by the infidels, enemies of Our Savour, and from the heretics and schismatic, to turn you away from the faith of Christ.'

Even though the Maronites endured famine and privation, and were pursued by enemies, they did not bow. They did not accept to be downtrodden. Wadi Kannoubine was indeed their last stronghold, if it was lost, all would be lost. Now the Maronite people reacted with vigor and initiative. These men and women devoted to prayer, and particularly to the life of the hermitage, increased in number. Schools were opened and the pupils flowed in. Religious orders were founded.

 

>>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (22)

The Ottomans Era (1)

During the years of difficulties, and as a result of the multiple occupations of the Lebanese land many tribes inhabited Lebanon especially the southern part of the mountain which will have enormous influence on Lebanon. some of these tribes are the Maanis and the Shahabis.

In 1516 the Ottomans defeated the Mamluks in Marj Dabiq battle in Aleppo, during this battle, the Maanis (Druze tribe moved to Lebanon around the year 1100) fought alongside with the Ottomans to defeat the Mamluks therefore they won the confidence of the Ottomans and Amir Fakhr ad Din (1516-1544) appointed as the ruler.

At the beginning of their era, the Ottomans did not govern Lebanon directly, consequently, having attained a high degree of maturity, a Druze-Maronite alliance was established lasting for hundreds of years; this prosperous principality would be the base of the modern Lebanese Republic, the Maronites were ready for a new era of renewal. The difference between this period and the preceding centuries was great. It can be considered the age of renaissance of the Maronite.

The Maronites were partners in governing the new principality; often the post of Moudabbir (roughly Prime Minister) and the post of Army Commander were given to a Maronite, usually a Khazen or a Hobeich of Keserwan. During this period (1516-1840), the Maronites started returning to southern Mount Lebanon, where they had lived before they were almost exterminated by the Mamlukes in 1307. Thus, the historic Ke-serwan and all the Druze mountains were repopulated. It was this relation between the Maronites and Druze that helped establish the Lebanese identity.

In 1618 Fakhr ed Eddine II army captured Akkar and Tripoli and removed their stones so as to rebuild Dier al Qamar (Lebanon’s capital city then). Next came the turn of the pasha of Damascus, in the battle of Anjar, 4000 Lebanese (Druze and Maronites) captured the pasha and cut down 12,000 of his men. Lebanon, Syria and Palestine was now under the rule Fakhr-al-din II. Nothing was left for Fakhr, in the words of a biographer of his time, but to declare himself sultan. Fakhr-al-din II preferred the title of 'Emir of Mount Lebanon, Sidon, and Galilee'.


In maintaining their Christian identity. In 1610, the Maronite monks of the Monastery of Saint Anthony of Qozhaya imported one of the first printing presses in what is known as the Arabic-speaking world; however that press was printing in the Syriac language and not Arabic. The monasteries of Lebanon would later become key players in the Arabic Renaissance of the late 19th century as a result of developing Arabic, as well as Syriac, printable script.




Next Sunday: The Ottomans era (2)
The Maronite College of Rome

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (23) The Ottomans era (2)

The Maronite College of Rome

The Maronite college of Rome was a milestone in the history of Lebanon. It triggered a new epoch of education that benefited the Maronite community at first then all communities in Lebanon.
It was during the reign of the Maanis that the Maronite College in Rome was established. On July 5th, 1584, Pope Gregory inaugurated the Maronite College in Rome, satisfying the aspirations of the community and opening to its students the way to success. In his bull the Pope declared:

'We hope that the students of this college during the days ahead, after being formed in piety and the true religion, which are of the tree of Sion and of the teaching of the Roman Church, head of all the Churches, will return home to the cedars of Lebanon to serve their community, renewing in their country faith in God. This is why, with full knowledge of the facts and by virtue of our apostolic authority, we establish the Maronite College, where the students of this community may learn good behavior, devotion, the true doctrine, and all the virtues which every Christian must have.'

With the arrival of the first students in Rome, the dreams of the Pope became a reality, and the whole Maronite community began to emerge from the shadows. More than that, the Maronite community now had means of access to Europe and to the world beyond, and was able to play its role as an intermediary between East and West and cement Latin-Lebanese relations.

One of the earliest graduates to remain in Europe was Gabriel Sionite, who taught Syriac and Arabic in Rome, occupied the chair of Semitic languages in what is now the College de France on Paris, served as an interpreter to King Louis XIII, worked on the compilation of the Paris polyglot Bible which was the first to include Syriac and Arabic in its columns. The Career of of Gabriel was exactly paralleled by Ibrahim al-Haqili (Echellensis) who also worked with him on the Bible. Others include Mirhej Ben Namroun, who was also a professor and an interpreter.

Another outstanding Maronite figure was Joseph Assemani, who as director of the Vatican Library made it a world leading depository. His research covering Syriac, Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Persian, and Ethiopic, were embodied in his massive Bibliotheca Orientalis which remains a mine of information to this day. As the historiographer of the king of Naples and of Italy, he produced a four volume work which won him citizenship of that country. The Pope sent Assemani as his delegate in 1736 to the synod held at Dier al Louaizeh and the resolutions reached sealed the union between the Maronite Church and Rome.

Perhaps the most famous graduate was Patriarch Douaihy who was able to compile, among many other works, the earliest major history of his church and community, making him the father of Maronite history. Furthermore he 'visited every diocese to choose holy and educated priests. He examined the liturgical books, corrected the errors introduced into them by the copyists, read and adapted the works of historians, both eastern and western, and wrote books some of which are still unpublished.' (Patriarch Jacob Awad)

The Patriarchs now found themselves in a position to encourage the education of their people. As the famous Lebanese Synod said:
'In the name of Jesus Christ we urge you all, the ordinaries of the dioceses, of the towns, villages and hamlets, and of the convents, to work together to encourage this undertaking, which will bear much fruit. The chiefs of the people must find teachers wherever they can, and take the names of all the children able to learn, and order the parents to bring their children to school even against their will. If they are orphans or if they are poor, let the church or the monastery feed them, and if it cannot, let it contribute one half of the cost and the parents the other.' (The Lebanese Synod, 529)

Now western religious communities began to settle in Lebanon. The Capuchins were the first in 1626, followed in 1635 by the Carmelites and in 1656 by the Jesuits. The process went steadily ahead.

These religious orders came in order to serve the Lebanese. They opened schools in which the youth of the country were formed, schools whose academic level was on a par with those of Europe itself.
Schools were opened one after the other, until there was one adjoining every Maronite Church. Some, such as those of Ain Warka, Mar Abda, and Haouka, flourished and gained a reputation for themselves. Once the Lebanese, at that time mostly Maronites, had acquired a good education, they were at the fore-front of Arab intellectual progress, and played a leading role in the cultural Renaissance of the Middle East.

 

>>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (25)
The Ottomans era (4)
The first Maronite Order

 As we have seen before, ever since its birth, the Maronite Church has been closely bound up with the monastic life which grew up around Antioch. It was the only Church to have been actually nurtured in a climate of monastic life and it was to the activity of the monks of the Monastery of Saint Maroun that it owed its development and territorial extension.

The Lebanese Maronite Order, founded in 1695, was the result of a renewal of monastic life which was the work of three young Maronites, Jibrayel Hawwa, Abdallah Qaraali and Youssef Albeten, all from the city of Aleppo. Having felt a call to the monastic life, they discussed the matter among themselves and then they decided to go to Lebanon to fulfil their dream.

As soon as they reached the Monastery of Our Lady of Qannubin, the seat of the Maronite Patriarchate, they presented themselves to Patriarch Estefan Dweihy (1670-1704) and disclosed to him the secret of their religious call. He questioned them closely, insisting on the austerity of the monastic life followed in places that had little to offer in the way of resources or safety from danger, then he gave his blessing and encouragement to their initiative and, on August 1, 1695, even went so far as to offer them the Monastery of Saint Maura (Mart Moura), at Ehden. This marked the very beginning of the Order.

It was on November 10, 1695, that the three founders received the hooded monastic habit, blessed by Patriarch Estefan Dweihy himself, at the Monastery of Our Lady of Qannubin. Ever since, this date has been considered to mark the founding of the Order and it is on this basis that it holds it, General Chapters. The Mart Moura Monastery was chosen to be the Mother House. It was there that they were joined by Jibrayel Farhat at the end of the same year. The founders set about organising their way of life and began to receive new vocations. They elected Jibrayel Hawwa as Father General (1695-1699).

 

Ref: http://www.discoverlebanon.com
Next Sunday: The Ottomans era (5)- The move to Bkerky

 

>>>

The Maronites and Lebanon (26)
The Ottomans era (5)

The move to Bkerky
Prince Bashir II
The Shihabs succeeded the Maans in 1697. They originally lived in the Hawran region of south-western Syria and settled in Wadi at Taim in southern Lebanon. The most prominent among them was Bashir II, who in many ways was much like his predecessor, Fakhr al Din II, wanting a strong and independent Lebanon. Bashir was an ultra-liberal, his palace contained a mosque and a chapel, he himself was a Maronite Christian by baptism, Muslim by matrimony, and Druze by convenience rather than by conviction.

Under Bashir II, as conditions slightly improved, The Maronites stood now in expectation of finding glory after their long history of suffering and tribulation. Wadi Kannoubine was where the Patriarch took refuge during the period of great hardship, which lasted 383 years, from 1440 to 1823. As peace slowly returned, the Patriarchs envisaged the transfer of their seat to Dimane, Bkerke in winter. The first Patriarch to consider such a move was Youssef HOBAISH, who occupied a house overlooking the valley and belonging to a partner in ownership of a farm west of the village. But the first to act on the idea was Patriarch Hanna EL HAJJ, who built the Patriarchal residence in Dimane now known as the Old Residence, in the center of the village, while near it he erected the church of St John-Maron, now the parish Church. The present residence was the work of Patri-arch Elias HOAYEK, who laid the founda-tion stone on September 28, 1899.

In 1703, cloister of Bkerke was built by Sheikh Khattar EL KHAZEN. It had a little Church with a presbytery alongside. In 1730, it was taken in charge by the Antonine order. In 1750, Bishop Germanos SAKR and Sister Hindyieh Oujaymeh took it as a house for the Congregation of the Sacred Heart. In 1779, an apostolic decree was issued dissolving the Congregation of the Sacred Heart and putting the house at the disposition of the Maronite community for any useful purpose.

In 1786, the Maronite Synod of Bishops declared that Bkerke should be a dependency of the residence at Kannoubine. In 1890, Patriarch Hanna EL HAJJ restored it, adding part of the ground floor and the whole of the upper story. Brother Leonard, the Lazarist, was the architect. He also planned the residence at Dimane.

Ref: History of the Maronite Patriarchate
www opuslibani.org

 

>>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (27) The Ottomans era (6)
The end of the Ottomans era

Ten Patriarchs have used Dimane as a summer residence and Bkerki as a winter one: Youssef HOBAISH of Sahel Alma (1823-1845), Youssef EL KHAZEN of Ajaltoun (1845-1854), Boulos MASSAD of Ashkout (1854-1890), Hanna EL HAJJ of Dlebta (1890-1898), Elias HOAYEK of Hilta (1898-1931), Antoun Arida of Bsharri (1932-1955), Boulos MEOUSHI of Jezzine (1955-1975), Anthony KHORAISH of Ain Ibl (1975-1986), Nasrallah SFEIR of Reyfoun (1986-2011) and Bechara Al Raii (2011) after the resignation of Patriarch Sfeir.

All these Patriarchs bore a heavy burden of responsibility, working for the unity of their flock. Their main concern has been the independence of Lebanon.

The early part of the 19th century was dominated by acts of aggression by the Druze against the Christians which culminated in the deaths of many thousands of Christians at the hands of the Druze with Turkish assistance in the Massacres of 1840-1860 which were finally halted in July 1860 when the great powers finally decided to act, France taking the initiative by dispatching 7,000 troops. The Ottomans fearing this intervention, sent their foreign minister, Fuad Pasha, to Lebanon ahead of the French and put an end to the violence. The French troops landed in Beirut in August 1860.

On October 5, 1860, an international commission composed of France, Britain, Austria, Prussia, and the Ottoman Empire met to investigate the causes of the events of 1860 and to recommend a new administrative and judicial system for Lebanon that would prevent the recurrence of such events. The commission members agreed that the partition of Mount Lebanon in1842 between Druze and Christians had been respon-sible for the massacre. Hence, in the Statute of June 9, 1861 Lebanon reunited under a non-Lebanese Christian mutasarrif (governor) ap-pointed by the Ottoman sultan, with the approval of the European pow-ers. The mutasarrif was to be assisted by an administrative council of twelve members from the various religious communities in Lebanon. Maronite nationalists strongly objected to a non-Lebanese governor and insisted on self rule.

This Statute which was revised on September 6,1864 and also adhered to by Italy in1867 recognized and guaranteed the autonomy of Lebanon, but not the Lebanon of Fakhr-al-Din and Bashir, but one stripped of its maritime and inter-mountain plains with their cities and reduced to its mountainous region. Only Mount Lebanon was to be out of the Ottoman grasp. The leading signatory, Turkey, cherished the conviction that Leba-non, without its ports, cities, and plains was unviable and could not sur-vive. Turkey was wrong, despite the mutasarrifs being totally incompe-tent, Lebanon, thanks to the efforts of its inhabitants, not only survived, but registered a record of prosperity, security, and progress that made it the envy of the provinces of the Ottoman empire. Lebanon's neighbours found expression in the saying 'Happy is he who owns but a goat's enclo-sure in Lebanon.'

This situation lasted till the World War I when a blockade was imposed on the Lebanese Mountains and hundreds of thousands starved. The Church opened its doors to the poor. During this period, Lebanon suf-fered more than any other Ottoman province, estimation of 120,000 persons lost their lives that was over one third of its population to slow and painful deaths.

Relief for Lebanon came in September1918 when the British general Edmund Allenby and Faysal I, son of Sharif Husayn of Mecca, moved into Palestine with British and Arab forces, thus opening the way for the liberation of Lebanon and Syria.

 Cedars of Lebanon as it is portrayed during the Mutasarifieh period

 

 >>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (28)
The independence

The Allies were victorious in WWI, the Ottoman Empire abolished, and France was entrusted with the Mandate over Lebanon and Syria.
 

The Birth of Today's LebanonEvery one of the Maronite Patriarchs knew his mission as an Apostle of peace. His presence could be felt everywhere, supporting every effort for the public good and opposing injustice. All the Lebanese would trust him, for they knew he could be relied on as working for national unity and independence. 

In 1919, patriarch Elias HOAYEK was delegated by the Lebanese people to go to the Peace Conference at Versailles, and to demand independence on their behalf. The Patriarch went to Versailles explained the problems of Lebanon, negotiated effectively, and accomplished his mission. He thus put the future of Lebanon on a firm footing and obtained satisfaction for the national aspirations.
 

In the first half of 1920, Lebanese territory was claimed as part of the Arab Kingdom of Syria, but shortly the Franco-Syrian War resulted in Arab defeat and capitulation of the Hashemites.

On 1 September 1920, France re-established Greater Lebanon after the Moutasarrifiya rule removed several regions belonging to the Principality of Lebanon and gave them to Syria,. the proclamation happened in Beirut, which included Mount Lebanon, the Beka'a, Wadi el-Taym, Jabal Amel, Sur, Saida, Beirut and Tripoli
 

Lebanon was a largely Christian (mainly Maronite territory with some Greek Orthodox enclaves), Starting in 1922, the Lebanese elected a local Representative Council, which drew up the Lebanese Constitution under French supervision. 

On 1 September 1926, France formed the Lebanese Republic. the constitution was adopted on 25 May 1926 establishing a democratic republic with a parliamentary system of government.
 

After the fighting ended in Lebanon between the UK plus free France forces and Vichy government in WWII, General Charles de Gaulle visited the area. Under political pressure from both inside and outside Lebanon, de Gaulle recognized the independence of Lebanon. 

Elections were held in 1943 and on 8 November 1943 the new Lebanese government unilaterally abolished the mandate. The French reacted by throwing the new government into prison. In the face of international pressure, the French released the government officials on 22 November 1943 and recognized the independence of Lebanon.
 

Maronite villagers building a church in Mount Lebanon, 1920

 

 >>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (28) 

The Maronite spirituality (1)
A Journey in the In-Seeing

Now, as we have finished the Journey of the Maronites thought history and outlined briefly their authentic and fundamental relation with the existence of Lebanon, we will be referencing The Word magazine again for putting some light on the Maronites spirituality which is in essence a school of worship and meditation.

Syriac Maronite spirituality offers a vision of life. For a Maronite Christian, daily living includes awakening to God, feeling wonder and experiencing awe of the world seen. The Maronite is never too busy living to notice life, for creation is more than the surface of what is seen and experienced. It is a mani-festation of divine love, a celebration of divine life and an encounter with God.

Maronite spirituality is a process of being single-minded on the Lord. Saint Ephrem uses the expression “luminous eye.” that is, viewing life from the perspective of its origin, identity and destiny. The incompleteness of daily living and the hunger for more call the searcher to see beyond his daily living and to take notice of his life becoming Christ like.

The Maronite hallmark of a spiritually awakened person is luminous vision.

For a Maronite Christian, it is not enough to provide a living; one must live in communion with God who is the center of all that is. Such a life heightens awareness of the sacredness of life, and deepens appreciation for the dignity of every living thing as a reflection of God.

Humanity is made in the image of God and grows daily in the likeness of Christ. As Saint Irenaeus noted: “The glory of God is man fully alive.” In a Maronite sense, when we do what we do with luminous vision we see beyond the ordinariness of life and thereby encounter God; (John 10:10). At the same time, the Maronite voice prophetically advocates and contributes to the ultimate fulfillment of the universe which is Christ centered.

 

>>>

 

The Maronitesand Lebanon (30)
The Maronite spirituality (2)

~ MARONITE ORIGINS ~

A brief overview of Syriac Maronite historical roots is needed to appreciate this spirituality. Too often the eastern churches are confused and misidentified as one and the same-the Syriac tradition is conflated with the Byzantine tradition. While the churches of the Catholic Church (eastern and western) are one in creedal formula, the seven sacraments and communion with the successor of Peter, these twenty-two churches are diverse and unique. They evolve from six major rites: those of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constan-tinople, Rome and Armenia.

By “rite” here is meant a universal community of faith having a distinct tradition, founded by an apostle or successor, guided by an autonomous hierarchy, by which various people have been converted to and nurtured by the teachings of Jesus Christ, Each of these 22 catholic churches then is rooted in a patriarchal tradition, and enjoys its own specific expression of theology, spirituality, liturgy and lay.

The Syriac Maronite church is the development and integration of three influential geographical centers:

1) Antioch a center of commerce and communication in West Syria, of Syriac and Greek influence. This biblical school of typology used “types” of the Old Testament and images of the New Testament rather than philosophical speculation to probe the mystery of God. hence the Maronite’s central focus on and significant use of sacred scripture.

2) Edessa - a prominent city where Saint Ephrem lived in ancient Mesopotamia, a center of Jewish culture and Syriac poetry. Both influenced the prayer and hymnody of the Maronite church. Speaking of and praying to God requires, in the mind of this theological school, the primal language of poetry. A Syriac scholar, Joseph Amar, writers:”Syriac-speaking Christians felt compelled to wed their unutterable vision to beautiful words..... It is not enough to merely express their profound faith, it was also necessary to express it in a profoundly poetical way.”

3) Mt. Lebanon - a region in the Middle East of Lebanese culture. It provided a haven for Saint Maron’s monastic way of life exemplified by austerity, simplicity and detachment. Maron, a fourth century priest and hermit, lived a vision of life, prayer and asceticism which inspired and nurtured his followers. Hence Maronite culture, worship and traditions mandate alertness for the second coming of the Lover of humankind.
 

>>>

The Maronite Liturgy:The Maronites and Lebanon (31)
The Maronite Liturgy:

Awaiting for the second coming of the Lord
To follow up the previous article about the Maronite Liturgy, we have found it important to display to our readers the following information:

What do we understand by liturgy?
Liturgy is viewed as being the outward expression of what the faithful feel towards God. The aim of good liturgy is to praise God and grow nearer to Him. Since people express themselves according to their culture, liturgy can be Eastern, Western, African... In this diversity the church shows itself to be universal. Each liturgy or ritual, whether Antiochienne, Byzantine, Latin, or Copt... is basically the expression of a particular race’s devotion.

What is the Maronite liturgy?
The Maronite church started in the diocese of Antioch. In the 4th century, it comprised Phoenicia, Syria and Palestine. This diocese had its own liturgy (the Syrio- Antiochian liturgy) so called because the Syriac or Aramaic language was used for the religious ceremonies or prayer in common in this area. Christ himself spoke it, and the words of consecration sung by the Maronite priest at mass are practically the same words that Christ used in the last supper. Maronites spoke Syriac until the last century, but now it is a dead language except in a few regions of the Middle East.

What are the origins of the Maronite liturgy?
The Maronite liturgy is the Syriac liturgy of St. James of Jerusalem originated and developed as follows:
1) St. Peter and other apostles brought the liturgy of the last supper to Antioch where it developed.

2) This early liturgy of Antioch was ascribed to St. James the Less, first bishop of Jerusalem, and modified for use at Jerusalem. In its Greek form, this liturgy of St. James was used throughout the entire ecclesiastical jurisdiction or patriarchate of Antioch.
3) A later translation into Syriac become the Syriac liturgy of St. James or the Maronite liturgy.
4) This Liturgy was enriched by the hymns and prayers of St. Ephrem, James of Saroug and other fathers of the Antiochian See.

Next Sunday: The Maronite Liturgy (2)
Where there any factors that modified the Maronite Liturgy? 

 

 

>>>

 

The Maronites and Lebanon (32)

The Maronite Liturgy (2):

Where there any factors that modified the Maronite Liturgy?

There have been several which mostly tended to westernise or latinise it; such as the crusaders, the Roman delegates, the missionaries’ influence and the Maronite seminary in Rome etc....

To show their attachment to the church of Rome, the Maronites adapted and comformed to many Latin customs. They introduced certain liturgical practices of the western church into their oriental rite. By doing that, the Maronites made the grave mistake of latinising itself without seeing the long term harm. 

The sad part of the story, the Roman delegates, having no knowledge of the Aramaic language or Maronite customs, insisted that the Maronites adapt to Latin customs. One may wonder if this church who had lived in continuous persecution, and poverty, could have acted otherwise?

Nowadays, the Maronites have made great efforts in reviving their own Syrio-Antiochian liturgical traditions. Ecumenism, as it is explained in Vatican II, have brought about a deeper knowledge of, a better relationship with ,and a keener interest in, churches of the East and the West.

How is the Maronite liturgical calendar organised?

The Maronite liturgical calendar follows the life of our Lord. For instance, the Advent goes along with the events which prepared the birth of our Lord. The main characteristic of the Maronite liturgy are that: I) it is a popular or public type. ii ) the faithful have a large part in its performance; iii) the music and

chants are usually of uncomplicated structure; iv) the prayers and hymns express the feelings and needs of the people, and reflect at the same time the image of the Maronite community itself. While the theology of the occident has always stressed the actualisation of the Eucharist by an engagement of the

Christians in the world. The theology of Byzantine Christianity continues to celebrate the divine liturgy which the risen Lord accomplishes in His heavenly glory. The Maronite liturgy celebrates the Eucharist in the expectation of the coming of the Lord. In their liturgy, the Maronites are painfully aware of the

fact that we are not actually in the glory of the Lord and in the plenitude of his redemption-but that we are awaiting it. The Maronites realise in faith that this sacramental sign is really “RAHBOUNO”, a pledge (guarantee &promise) of the glory to come, and “ZOUODO”, a viaticum (harmony) which transforms a being into a pilgrim on the way to his home, “the house of the heavenly father”. Our liturgy, therefore emphasises the necessity of purification for all humans before the second coming of Jesus Christ. It interprets more accurately the ideas of the early Christians who were waiting the second coming of the Lord. This same idea is clearly stressed in our divine liturgy after the words of consecration: “do this in memory of me... until I come again”.

What sort of mission do Maronites have in the Church?

Our presence in the Catholic church testifies to the church’s spiritual wealth, greatness and freedom to worship in unity with the many different rites within her. The uninterrupted chain of Maronite martyrs and saints, such as St. Maroun, St. Charbel, Blessed Rafka, Hardini,... prove the vitalityof the Maronite church, which continues to represent within the whole Catholic church a special aspect of theology, liturgy and spirituality. It must be our first priority to keep and preserve our rite. Parents must hand down their traditions and liturgy to their children. This is clearly evident from the documents of Vatican II, which ask Catholics “to keep, support, promote and preserve their rite and help it grow and expand...” Maronites, therefore, should worship in their own Maronites churches and support them according to their means. 

Ref: Rev. Khalife A (1978). “The Maronite Rite: Questions on the Maronites. Diocese of St. Maroun, Sydney.

The end of the series

15 October 2012