The Maronite College of Rome

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.Many eminent clerics were trained in the Maronite College, the most famous being Patriarch DOUAIHY, ”who 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copyists, read and adapted the works of historians, both eastern and western, and wrote books some of which are still unpublished.”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) Others worthy of note include Joseph Assemani, appointed archivist in the Vatican Library, Gabriel SIONITE, professor first in Rome and then in Paris in the Royal College as well as interpreter to King Louis XIII, Echellensis, whose career exactly paralleled that of Gabriel SIONITE, and Mirhej Ben Namroun, also professor and interpreter.The Patriarchs were now 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 forefront of Arab intellectual progress, and played a leading role in the cultural Renaissance of the Middle East.

First Maronite Order

”In 1694, Gabriel HAWA, Abdallah BEN ABDEL-AHAD Qara’li, and Youssef BEN ALBETEN, approached Patriarch DOUAIHY to request his permission to establish a religious community that follows a religious rule and constitutions under the authority of superiors who would be under a superior general. The members would take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, under the patronage of St Anthony, the father of hermits. The Patriarch looked favorably on their demand, thanked them, and blessed their enterprise.” (Debs, 253)

Bkerke

The beginning of the eighteenth century found the Maronites divided by two currents. One group wanted to preserve the Maronite traditions, while the others were in favor of the Latinization. The holding of a synod became necessary to heal the divisions and to restore to
the community its previous luster. This synod opened at Louaizeh in 1736 and was the most comprehensive to be held in modern times.It was useful to the community, as it provided guidelines for the ending of chaos and the healing of divisions. But it also limited the authority of the Patriarch and favored the liberal Latinizing tendency. It did not provide definitive solutions and left the community in a condition that was by no means entirely healthy. In the region of Jbeil, the Maronites suffered from famine, hardship, and privation, bearing with their lot in patience and silence. When pursued by enemies, they took to flight, and history speaks of no protest on their part, as if they had acknowledged their guilt. Their wretched condition was accepted as a punishment for sin. When the Mamlouks vented their wrath on the Maronites, no murmur rose from their victims. Their muqaddams received the subdiaconate as a way of turning a page on the past and accepting the authority of the Patriarch.In Wadi Kannoubine, too, the Maronites endured famine and privation, and were pursued by enemies. But here they made themselves heard. In Jbeil they had kept silence, but in Wadi Kannoubine they did not accept to be downtrodden. Was this because something around them had changed? Was it because they were in a place of surer refuge, unlike Jbeil? Wadi Kannoubine was indeed their last stronghold, and it was lost all would be lost. Now the Maronite people reacted with vigour and initiative. 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, and after division a synod was held.
Such a brief summing-up is not without truth. The fact is that Nature has a force of its own. Jbeil is a region of serenity and a school of wisdom, where the Maronites learnt peace of mind. The adjoining sea extended in tranquil vastness. Wadi Kannoubine, however, 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. There the Maronite has been schooled in forcefulness and obstinacy, to become a man of bold initiative.In Wadi Kannoubine one feels a force conducive to prayer and meditation, to thought and to action. There, a man can realize that he is both dust and spirit. He feels the force of the soil and its attraction, and remembers the words to Holy Scripture: ”Dust and ashes art thou, O man, and to dust and ashes thou shalt return”. He feels also the force of the spirit, and again recalls the words of Holy Scripture: ”In the beginning God created heaven and earth. And the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God moved over the waters”. (Genesis I, 1, 2) At Wadi Kannoubine the poet is a poet, the husbandman is a husbandman, and the Christian is a Christian. At Wadi Kannoubine, a man is known for what he is, either cold or hot, as is said in the Apocalypse of St John: ”I know what you have done; I know that you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other. But because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth”. (Apocalypse III: 15 -16). The Maronites of Wadi Kannoubine had not been at all cold. Their difficulties and their sufferings had marked them. They mourned but they took stock of themselves, and entered on a new life. As Jbeil was the Maronites’ Garden of Olives, so Wadi Kannoubine was their road to Golgotha, and there remained for them only the triumph of the Resurrection. In 1823 the patriarchal seat was transferred to Dimane for the summer and Bkerke for the winter. 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. 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 Patriarch Elias HOAYEK, who laid the foundation stone on September 28, 1899. The architect was the Lazarist Brother Leonard, who had previously planned the residence at BkerkeThe Patriarch had no winter residence, and therefore considered the construction of one at Bkerke.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 Bkerki 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. In 1970, Patriarch Paul MEOUSHI had various repairs made.
In 1982, Patriarch Anthony KHORAISH had the main gate made. In 1995, patriarch Nasrallah SFEIR enlarged the residence with a new building for the archives and for the patriarchal exhibition. He also made a cemetery for the Patriarchs and embellished the church with fine stained-glass windows. Nine Patriarchs have used Dimane as a summer residence and Bkerki as a winter one: Youssef HOBAISH of Sahel Alma (1823-1845), Youssef EL KHAZEN ofAjaltoun (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)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.In fact, despite the Mamlouk occupation and the especially redoubtable Ottoman occupation, the Maronites have always managed to preserve a certain degree of autonomy. Their Patriarch refused the decree by virtue of which the Sublime Porte used to recognize the Patriarch, and so they have always been leading their country towards total independence and seeking to preserve all that they achieved.

1860

Events followed in rapid succession. After the troubles of 1860 between the Maronites and the Druzes, there came massive emigration, World War I, and then conflicts with brother against brother. The tragedy of 1860 resulted in the death of some ten thousand Maronites, and in a deep division between the Maronites and the Druzes. Many Maronites were forced to leave their homeland and seek their fortune abroad. The coexistence of the communities was called into question.Then during World War I a blockade was imposed on the Lebanese Mountains and hundreds of thousands starved. The Church opened its doors to the poor. Patriarch Anthony ARIDA set up a cement-making factory and also the Kadisha Electricity Company. These provided jobs for hundreds of young men. Such initiatives had a positive effect, helping forward the process of reconciliation to strengthen national unity. After the war, there was a return to the traditional pattern of life. Now that the Maronites had a more normal existence, there were two tendencies dividing them. Conflict was renewed, and the enemy outside entered the house. Coming to the most recent part of the contemporary history of our community, we find selfishness as the dominating force driving the hearts of the faithful. Division reached the point where members were finally at each other’s throats and carrying out massacres.
This egoism has inevitable repercussions on the lives of the faithful. There was a moral collapse, and many people went abroad, as their predecessors had done after the events of 1860.

The Independent Lebanon

Independence was not easy to achieve. After the Ottoman withdrawal, the diverging political orientations of the seventeen Lebanese communities made agreement among them difficult. However, every 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 as 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.The Patriarchs who succeeded Elias HOAYEK all followed his example. ”No to monopolies!” said Patriarch ARIDA. ”No to injustice!” said Patriarch AFEOUSHI. ”No to fratricidal strife!” said Patriarch KHORAISH. ”No to hegemony!” said Patriarch SFEIR. But it was always ”Yes!” For sovereignty and freedom of decision. The Patriarchs looked beyond narrow confines and worked not only on behalf of their community but on behalf of all the Lebanese. Acting in this spirit, they helped strengthen national unity and mutual understanding among the communities. This proved to be a source of wealth for the country, as Lebanon swung into an era of development.When the worst period of trial came to an end, the Patriarch moved to Dimane in summer and to Bkerke in winter. The Maronites thought that glory now awaited them and happiness unalloyed. However, they were to learn that they had a long road to tread before they could achieve their ambitions.

The Maronite Diasporia

Did this mark the end of all the aspirations of the Maronites? Let us turn back to the very beginnings of the Church. ”That very day the Church in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persecution. All the believers, except the Apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria... The believers who were scattered went everywhere, preaching the message”. (Acts Vlll. 1/4).A similar movement in the history of the Maronites in Lebanon paralleled this development in the early history of the Church in Jerusalem. The Maronites set out for foreign parts and in doing so spread the message of St Maron throughout the world. The Maronites of the Diaspora, estimated to number some four million, played a humanistic role wherever they went, and wherever they went they succeeded, the most famous among them being Khalil GIBRAN. However, they did not forget the suffering land of Lebanon, which they had once left; they helped it financially and politically with a view to their future return. Emigration meant no setback for the community, and the Maronites were by no means doomed to extinction.At the same time, the papal bulls, received by the Patriarchs over many hundreds of years and jealously kept in the Patriarchal archives in Bkerke, the manuscripts written by bishops, priests, and hermits in the valley of Kannoubine, in the Churches of the mountains of Lebanon and elsewhere, kept the historical documents numbering over a million, all these are a testimony to the achievements of the Maronites in passing their message down the ages and to the witness they have borne for Christ down generations of cruel suffering. Their mission has been clearly fulfilled despite the challenges they faced.

The New Maronite Saints

Saint Charbel Makhlouf, whom Pope Paul Vl canonized on October 9th, 1977, and Blessed Rafca Rayess, whom Pope John-Paul II beatified on November 17th, 1985, may help us as examples of that multitude of Maronites who followed Jesus Christ in silence, doing his will, and forgetting themselves for the sake of their Savior and of His Gospel. Charbel and Rafca represent those Maronites who said ”No!” to evil and who incarnated that Maronite spirituality whose youth is ever renewed. Self- seeking has hampered this mission, assumed by the Maronites down the centuries. It may be thought to have been enfeebled to the point where it appears non-existent. However, there can be no doubt that it will revive, that love will prevail, and that the Maronites will once again play their leading role.

The Pastoral Synod called for by Pope John-Paul II on June 12th, 1991, is a ray of hope. If the whole Maronite nation has suffered decline, in the same way this nation, if it listens to the call of the Pope, will triumph over its sins and continue on the road to success. Will triumph over its sins and continue on the road to success. This initiative comprises, among many other proposals, an educational project the effectiveness of which is certain. All efforts are to be coordinated and with good will on all sides there can be no doubt concerning the results. The teaching, which formed the Maronite nation in the days of Yanuh and Mayfuk, will sanctify it during the days of Dimane and Bkerke. It has become apparent to many that the cause of the evils which have come upon us, the fratricide, the expulsions, the ruin and the devastation, has been the failure to give adequate instruction, with the tragic consequence of a turning away from God. What we must demand from Dimane and Bkerke is encouragement for this task of Christian education. Instruction is the doorway to salvation. The more vigorously they follow the path marked by their ancestors in following the apostolic teaching, in leading the common life, in breaking bread, and in prayer, the better the Maronites will surmount their failure, and the sooner they will pass from Golgotha to the glory of the Resurrection. Dimane and Bkerke are the sheet anchor. They point the way to Christ. They are the windows to the glory of Resurrection.