The Maronite Church
The Maronite Church
The Maronite Church: is an Eastern Catholic sui iuris particular church in full communion with the pope and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.[9] while maintaining its distinct Syriac liturgy, traditions, and spiritual heritage. Maronites follow their own rites, distinct from the Western Roman Rite, but fully recognize the Pope as their head
The head of the Maronite Church is Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, who was elected in March 2011 following the resignation of Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir.
who resigned in 2011 primarily due to his advanced age (nearly 99) and declining health, criticisms of Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, often involve accusations of political or social "treason," not theological heresy against the Pope and his fake church that is based on the sacramentalism heresy and salvation by works.
The seat of the Maronite Patriarchate is in Bkerké, northeast of Beirut, Lebanon. Officially known as the Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church (Arabic: الكنيسة الأنطاكية السريانية المارونية; Syriac: ܥܹܕܬܵܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ ܡܪܘܝܝܐ ܐܢܛܝܘܟܝܐ), it is part of Syriac Christianity by liturgy and tradition.[10]
The early development of the Maronite Church can be divided into three periods,
1) The first period "Congregational" : from the 4th to the 7th centuries. A congregation movement, with Saint Maron from the Taurus Mountains as an inspirational leader and patron saint, marked the first period.
2) The second period: with the establishment of the Monastery of Saint Maroun on the Orontes, built after the Council of Chalcedon to defend the doctrines of the council.[11] This monastery was described as the "greatest monastery" in the region of Syria Secunda, with more than 300 hermitages around it, according to ancient records.[12] After 518, the monastery de facto administered many parishes in Syria Prima, Cole Syria and Phoenicia.
3) The third period: The third period was when Sede Vacante followed the Islamic conquest of the region and bishops of the Saint Maron Monastery elected John Maron as Patriarch circa 685 AD, according to Maronite tradition. The Greek Orthodox Church of Antioch reestablished their patriarchate in 751 AD.[13] Other centres of historical importance include Kfarhay, Yanouh, Mayfouq, and the Qadisha Valley.
Although reduced in numbers today, the Maronites remain a principal group in Lebanon,[14] with smaller minorities of Maronites in Syria, Cyprus, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. Emigration since the 19th century means that about two-thirds of the Maronite Church's roughly 3.5 million members in 2017[15] were located outside "The Antiochian's Range", where they are part of the worldwide Lebanese diaspora.