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81-438: The district's population is predominantly Maronite Catholic , followed by a Shia Muslim minority community. The largest towns of the district are predominantly inhabited by Maronites; notably Byblos , Qartaba , Aqoura and Amsheet . Most Shia Muslims live in the villages of Almat, Ras Osta , Hjoula and Bichtlida , and in the jurd highlands of Lassa , Afqa and Mazraat es-Siyad . A Greek Orthodox minority forms part of

162-487: A Shi'ite . Maronites derive their name from Maron , a 4th-century Syriac Christian saint venerated by multiple Christian traditions. He is often conflated with John Maron , the first Maronite Patriarch, who ruled 685-707. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Lebanese people is a blend of many peoples that have come to rule the land over the course of thousands of years. In a 2013 interview, Pierre Zalloua ,

243-550: A Syriac Christian , going on to explain that to him and many Lebanese the "acceptance" of Lebanon's "Arab identity" according to the Taef Agreement was not something that they "accepted" but instead were forced into signing through pressure. The official declared "Arab Identity" of Lebanon was created in 1990 based on the Taif Agreement, without any free discussion or debate among Lebanese people and while Lebanon

324-661: A Lebanese biologist who took part in the National Geographic Society 's Genographic Project , pointed out that genetic variation preceded religious variation and divisions: "Lebanon already had well-differentiated communities with their own genetic peculiarities, but not significant differences, and religions came as layers of paint on top. There is no distinct pattern that shows that one community carries significantly more Phoenician than another." Although Christianity existed in Roman Phoenice since

405-624: A compromise between supporters of Chalcedon, such as the Maronites, and opponents, such as the Jacobites . To win back the Monophysites, Monoenergism was first advocated by Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople . Pope Honorius I (625–638) of Rome naively called for an end to dispute and interpreted Sergius' view as true since Christ exhibited only one will insofar as His sinless human will never disagreed with His divine will. Instead,

486-483: A dialect of Aramaic called Syriac . Syriac remains the liturgical language of the Maronite Church. Phoenicianism is an identity on the part of Lebanese Christians that has developed into an integrated ideology led by key thinkers, but there are a few who have stood out more than others: Charles Corm , Michel Chiha , and Said Aql in their promotion of Phoenicianism . In post civil-war Lebanon since

567-777: A key role in the establishment of Greater Lebanon by the French Mandate. With only two exceptions, all Lebanese presidents have been Maronites as part of a tradition that persists as part of the National Pact , by which the Prime Minister has historically been a Sunni Muslim and the Speaker of the National Assembly has historically been a Shia Muslim . A unique feature of the Lebanese system

648-580: A long and continuous history. The spread of Christianity in Lebanon was very slow where paganism persisted, especially in the mountaintop strongholds of Mount Lebanon. During the 5th century AD, Saint Maron sent Abraham of Cyrrhus , often referred to as the Apostle of Lebanon, to convert the still significant pagan population of Lebanon to Christianity . The area's inhabitants renamed the Adonis River

729-872: A more security-minded view of Lebanon. They regarded the national project as mainly a program for the security of Maronites and a bulwark against threats from Muslims and their hinterland. The right-wing yet secular Guardians of the Cedars , with its exiled Leader and founder Etienne Saqr (also the father of singers Karol Sakr and Pascale Sakr ) took no sectarian stance and even had Muslim members who joined in their radical stance against Arabism and Palestinian forces in Lebanon . Saqr summarized his party's view on Arab Identity in their official ideological manifesto by stating Lebanon will remain, as always, Lebanese without any labels. The French passed through it yet it remained Lebanese. The Ottomans ruled it and it remained Lebanese. The stinky winds of Arabism blow through it, but

810-619: A number of significant sites. The capital Byblos is an important historical and archaeological site boasting Phoenician, Roman, and Crusader ruins. The mountain village of Aannaya hosts the Saint Maroun-Aannaya monastery and the Catholic shrine of Saint Charbel (1828-1898), the first Lebanese saint (officially canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1977), both significant religious Maronite Christian holy sites. The village of Laqlouq , which has an altitude of 1,750 meters to 2,000 meters,

891-438: A purposeful exclusion of Arabism in the segment. The speech met with applause afterward from the audience; What we are missing today is an important element of our life and our honor, which is our identity. I will tell you today, that I as a Lebanese citizen , my identity is Maronite , Syriac Christian , and Lebanese ( Arabic : مارونية سريانية مسيحية لبنانية mārūniyya, suryāniyya masīḥiyya, lubnāniyya). Etienne Sakr , of

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972-588: Is a Christian-based political party of Maronite majority and former militia. it currently holds 4 of the 128 seats in parliament, all of which are Christian. As a militia , it played a pivotal role during the Lebanese Civil War as it controlled its own Maronite canton (Marounistan) as part of the Lebanese Front . The party is also led by the Gemayel family , a notable Maronite family based in

1053-540: Is a ski resort. The village of Afqa contains the Afqa grotto, which is the source of the Nahr Ibrahim, also known as the Adonis River. The village of Bentaël (also spelled Bintaael) contains the first protected area in Lebanon, established in 1981. The village of Jaj hosts surviving cedar trees from the ancient cedar forests from which cedar wood was exported to Egypt and later to Jerusalem . The village Chikhane

1134-483: Is an Eastern Catholic sui iuris particular church in full communion with the pope and the rest of the Catholic Church . The Maronites derive their name from Saint Maron , a Syriac Christian whose followers migrated to the area of Mount Lebanon from their previous place of residence around the area of Antioch , and established the nucleus of the Maronite Church. Christianity in Lebanon has

1215-461: Is considered the birthplace of the first Russian school in the Middle East , believed to have been established during World War I . The village of Hjoula is among the very rare villages in Lebanon to contain fossilized sea animals in it, along the village of Haqel. Byblos District also has a notable beach life with many public and private resorts existing along the seaside. List and location of

1296-476: Is no distinct pattern that shows that one community carries significantly more Phoenician than another." The Maronite population in Lebanon has a rich history. Its foundation can be traced back to early followers of Maron , who migrated from the region of Antioch to Mount Lebanon. Historically, Lebanese Maronites resided in remote mountain villages and were led by influential noble families. The followers of Jesus Christ first became known as "Christians" in

1377-644: Is the principle of "confessional distribution": all religious community has an allotted number of deputies in the Parliament. Thirty-four seats in parliament are reserved for Maronites. The largest party is the Lebanese Forces that receives most of its support from the Maronite Christians but it also supported by other Christian sects throughout the country. It currently has 19 seats in parliament, 11 of them being Maronite. The Phalange Party

1458-751: The Annuario Pontificio , in 2020 the Eparchy of San Charbel in Buenos Aires , Argentina, had 750,000 members; in 2021 the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of São Paulo , Brazil, had 521,000 members; in 2020 the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Sydney , Australia, had 161,370 members; in 2020 the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Montreal , Canada, had 94,300 members; in 2021 the Eparchy of Our Lady of the Martyrs of Lebanon in Mexico had 167,190 members; in 2021

1539-758: The Abraham River after Saint Abraham preached there. The early Maronites were Hellenized Semites, natives of Byzantine Syria who spoke Greek and Syriac , yet identified with the Greek-speaking populace of Constantinople and Antioch. They were able to maintain an independent status in Mount Lebanon and its coastline after the Muslim conquest of the Levant , keeping their Christian religion, and even their distinct Lebanese Aramaic as late as

1620-716: The Arab identity instead. This conflict of ideas of identity is believed to be one of the pivotal disputes between the Muslim and Christian populations of Lebanon and what mainly divides the country to the detriment of national unity. In general it appears that Muslims focus more on the Arab identity of the Lebanese history and culture whereas the Christian communities–especially the Maronites, focus on their history and struggles as an ethnoreligious group as distinct from Arab identity and

1701-683: The Archeparchy of Aleppo , 15,000 in the Archeparchy of Damascus and 45,000 in the Eparchy of Lattaquié ). In 2015, the BBC placed the number of Maronites in Syria at between 28,000 and 60,000. Maronites first migrated to Cyprus in the 8th century, and there are approximately 5,800 Maronites on the island today, the vast majority in the Republic of Cyprus . The community historically spoke Cypriot Maronite Arabic , but today Cypriot Maronites speak

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1782-617: The Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles in the United States had 47,480 members; in 2020 and the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn in the United States had 23,939 members. According to the Annuario Pontificio , 51,520 people belonged to the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Paris in 2021. In Europe, some Belgian Maronites are involved in the trade of diamonds in

1863-803: The Greek language , with the Cypriot government designating Cypriot Maronite Arabic as a dialect. A Maronite community of about 11,000 people lives in Israel. The 2017 Annuario Pontificio reported that 10,000 people belonged to the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land and 504 people belonged to the Exarchate of Jerusalem and Palestine . [REDACTED] Catholicism portal According to various sources

1944-761: The Guardians of the Cedars Lebanese party, in an interview responded "We are not Arabs" to an interview question about the Guardians of the Cedars' ideology of Lebanon being Lebanese. He continued by talking about how describing Lebanon as being not Arab was a crime in present-day Lebanon, about the Lebanese Civil War, and about Arabism as being a first step towards Islamism, claiming that "the Arabs want to annex Lebanon" and in order to do this "to push

2025-579: The Lebanese Druze during the 1860 conflict. According to some estimates about 11,000 Lebanese Christians (including Maronites) were killed; over 4,000 died from hunger and disease as a result of the war. After the 1860 massacres, many Maronites fled to Egypt. Antonios Bachaalany, a Maronite from Salima (Baabda district) was the first emigrant to the New World, where he reached the United States in 1854 and died there two years later. According to

2106-500: The Marada Movement , National Liberal Party and Independence Movement . People born into Christian families or clans who have either Aramaic or Maronite cultural heritage are considered an ethnicity separate from Israeli Arabs and since 2014 can register themselves as Arameans. The Christians who have applied so far for recognition as Aramean are mostly Galilean Maronites . In addition, some 500 Christian adherents of

2187-631: The Maronite Church in Lebanon , the largest Christian denomination in the country. The Lebanese Maronite population is concentrated mainly in Mount Lebanon and East Beirut . They are believed to constitute about 30% of the total population of Lebanon. The Maronites and the Druze founded modern Lebanon in the early eighteenth century through the ruling and social system known as

2268-672: The Phoenician legacy of the Lebanese people and has promoted the use of the Lebanese dialect written in a modified Latin alphabet , rather than the Arabic one , although both alphabets have descended from the Phoenician alphabet. In opposition to such views, Arabism was affirmed at the March 1936 Congress of the Coast and Four Districts, when the Muslim leadership at the conference made

2349-591: The Taif agreement , politically Phoenicianism is restricted to a small group. Among leaders of the movement, Said Akl and Etienne Saqr have been notable names, some going as far as voicing anti-Arab views. In his book the Israeli writer Mordechai Nisan , who at times met with some of them during the war, quoted Said Akl , a famous Lebanese poet and philosopher, as saying; "I would cut off my right hand, and not associate myself to an Arab." Akl believes in emphasizing

2430-765: The diamond district of Antwerp . According to the Annuario Pontificio , 74,900 belonged to the Apostolic Exarchate of West and Central Africa ( Nigeria ) in 2020. The Diocese is centered in Ibadan , Nigeria and covers the countries of Angola , Benin , Burkina Faso , Cameroon , Central African Republic , Chad , Republic of the Congo , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Côte d'Ivoire , Equatorial Guinea , Gabon , Gambia , Ghana , Guinea , Guinea-Bissau , Liberia , Mali , Mauritania , Niger . Senegal , Sierra Leone and Togo . In 1920, Maronites played

2511-616: The " Maronite–Druze dualism ". The 1860 Druze–Maronite conflict led to the establishment of Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate , an autonomous entity within the Ottoman Empire dominated by Maronites and protected by European powers. In the aftermath of the First World War , the Maronites successfully campaigned for Greater Lebanon carved out from Mount Lebanon and neighboring areas. Under the French Mandate , and until

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2592-448: The 17th century, the Maronites had developed a strong natural liking for Europe – particularly France. The relationship between the Druze and Christians has been characterized by harmony and peaceful coexistence , with amicable relations between the two groups prevailing throughout history, with the exception of some periods, including 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war . In the 19th century, thousands of Maronites were massacred by

2673-538: The 19th century. While Maronites identify primarily as native Lebanese of Maronite origin, many identify as Arab Christians . Others identify as descendants of Phoenicians . Some Maronites argue that they are of Mardaite ancestry, while other historians, such as Clement Joseph David, the Syriac Catholic Archbishop of Damascus , reject this. Mass emigration to the Americas at the outset of

2754-405: The 20th century, famine during World War I that killed an estimated one third to one half of the population, the 1860 Mount Lebanon conflict and the Lebanese Civil War between 1975 and 1990 greatly decreased their numbers in the Levant; however Maronites today form more than one quarter of the total population of modern-day Lebanon. Though concentrated in Lebanon, Maronites also show presence in

2835-560: The 98 towns and villages in the Byblos district: 34°07′25″N 35°39′04″E  /  34.12361°N 35.65111°E  / 34.12361; 35.65111 Maronite Christianity in Lebanon Lebanese diaspora : Europe Overseas Middle East Lebanese Maronite Christians ( Arabic : المسيحية المارونية في لبنان ; Classical Syriac : ܡܫܝܚܝ̈ܐ ܡܪ̈ܘܢܝܐ ܕܠܒܢܢ ) refers to Lebanese people who are members of

2916-480: The Arab world, while also reaffirming the Lebanese identity, as well as refraining from Arab characterization as it would deny them their striving achievement of having fended off the Arabs and Turks physically, culturally, and spiritually since their conception. The Maronite perseverance led to their existence even to today. Lebanese Maronites are known to be specifically linked to the root of Lebanese Nationalism and opposition to Pan-Arabism in Lebanon, this being

2997-700: The Aramean Christian Foundation in Israel, led by IDF Major Shadi Khalloul Risho and the Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum, headed by Father Gabriel Naddaf of the Greek-Orthodox Church and Major Ihab Shlayan. Shadi Khalloul Risho is also a member of the Israeli right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, and was placed 15th in the 2015 parliamentary elections in the party's member list; the party however received only 5 seats. The followers of

3078-600: The Assyrian Patriarch of the Church of the East , Awa III proclaiming: We affirm that we are one Syriac people, rooted in the beloved East and we form its essential constituents, despite our number and the variety of our apostolic traditions. Our witness to our Christian faith in general, and to our Syriac identity in particular, is a constant source of concern for us. Therefore, we took the time to deepen our role in

3159-932: The Christians out (of Lebanon)", this being "the plan since 1975", among other issues. On 16 December 2022, at the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchal Residence in Atchaneh, Lebanon, the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch , Ignatius Aphrem II issued a joint statement with the Maronite Patriarch , Bechara Boutros al-Rahi , the Syriac Catholic Patriarch , Ignatius Joseph III Yonan , the Chaldean Patriarch , Louis Raphaël I Sako and

3240-564: The Church is that it had never accepted either the Monophysitic views held by their Syriac neighbours, which were condemned in the Council of Chalcedon , or the failed compromise doctrine of Monothelitism (the latter claim being found in contemporary sources). The Maronite Patriarch is traditionally seated in Bkerke , north of Beirut. Lebanese Maronite Christians are concentrated in the north Beirut, northern part of Mount Lebanon Governorate , southern part of North Governorate , parts of Beqaa Governorate and South Governorate . Note that

3321-402: The Druze founded modern Lebanon in the early Eighteenth Century, through a governing and social system known as the " Maronite-Druze dualism " in the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate . The Maronites belong to the Maronite Syriac Church of Antioch in Hatay Province , Turkey) is an Eastern Catholic Syriac Church that had affirmed its communion with Rome since 1180, although the official view of

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3402-477: The East and to find ways to activate it and strengthen it. We discussed the available means of supporting our people to remain in the homeland which was baptized with the blood of our forefathers and ancestors. In this regard, we have renewed our firm resolve to continue our fatherly ministry to our people in order to help them remain in their countries and to stop the migrations caused by the current conflicts and political, economic, and social difficult conditions that

3483-399: The Maronite Church form a part of the Syriac Christians and belong to the West Syriac Rite . The Maronite Syriac Church of Antioch traces its foundation to Maron , an early 4th-century Syriac monk venerated as a saint. Before the conquest by Arabian Muslims reached Lebanon, the Lebanese people , including those who would become Muslim and the majority who would remain Christian, spoke

3564-451: The Maronite church, there were approximately 1,062,000 Maronites in Lebanon in 1994, where they constitute up to 32% of the population. Under the terms of the National Pact agreement between the various political and religious leaders of Lebanon, the president of the country must be a Maronite Christian. There is also a small Maronite Christian community in Syria. In 2017, the Annuario Pontificio reported that 3,300 people belonged to

3645-425: The Maronite diaspora is estimated to be somewhere between 7 and 12 million individuals, much larger than the Maronite population living in their historic homelands in Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus, Israel, and Palestine. Due to cultural and religious assimilation, especially in the Americas , many Maronites or those of Maronite descent might not identify as Maronite or are unaware of their Maronite heritage. According to

3726-399: The Maronites by the Byzantines. Following the Byzantine persecutions in the Orontes valley, many Maronite monks left their lands in the Orontes Valley and took refuge in the mountains of Lebanon. The Maronite community migrated since the mid 7th century and through the 8th century, moving from the Orontes Valley in central Syria to Mount Lebanon , becoming the majority of the Christians in

3807-414: The Maronites to elect their first Patriarch, John Maroun , that year. This, however, was seen as a usurpation by the then undivided Orthodox Catholic church. Thus, at a time when Islam was rising on the borders of the Byzantine Empire and a united front was necessary to keep out Islamic infiltration, the Maronites were focused on a struggle to retain their independence against imperial power. This situation

3888-404: The Maronites without a leader, a situation which continued because of the final and most devastating Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628 . In the aftermath of the war, the Emperor Heraclius propagated a new Christological doctrine in an attempt to unify the various Christian churches of the east, who were divided over accepting the Council of Chalcedon . This doctrine, monothelitism , was meant as

3969-432: The Patriarch of Constantinople's doctrine and subsequent Monothelitism caused greater controversy and was declared a heresy at the Sixth Ecumenical Council in 680-681. Contemporary Greek, Latin and Arab sources indicate that the Maronites accepted monothelitism, rejected the sixth council, and continued to maintain a belief in the largely discredited monothelite doctrine for centuries, only moving away from monothelitism in

4050-412: The Phoenician inhabitants of the coastal lines and mountains of Lebanon, introducing them to the way of Saint Maron. In 451 AD, the Maronites followed the Council of Chalcedon , rejecting both monophysitism and miaphysitisim in favor of maintaining full communion with the then united Catholic Church. In 517 AD, a Chalcedonian conflict resulted in the massacre of 350 Maronite monks. Some sources detail

4131-420: The Syriac Catholic Church in Israel are expected to apply for the recreated ethnic status, as well as several hundred Aramaic-speaking adherents of the Syriac Orthodox Church. Though supported by Gabriel Naddaf , the move was condemned by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, which described it as "an attempt to divide the Palestinian minority in Israel". This recognition comes after about seven years of activity by

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4212-554: The ancient Greek city of Antioch (Acts 11:26), and the city became a center for Christianity – especially after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. According to Catholic tradition, the first Bishop was Saint Peter before his travels to Rome. The third Bishop was the Apostolic Father Ignatius of Antioch . Antioch became one of the five original Patriarchates (the Pentarchy ) after Constantine recognized Christianity. The Maronite Christianity derived its name and religious identity from Saint Maron whose followers migrated to

4293-437: The area consisting of those regions extending from Sidon in the South and up to Batroun and the south of Tripoli in the north. The Arab conquerors settled in various cities of the coast to reduce Byzantine interference even though they were not interested in maritime trade. Since the mountains offered no attraction to them, the Christians continued to settle in the Mountains of Lebanon. The Christians that chose to remain in

4374-439: The area of Mount Lebanon (present day Republic of Lebanon ) from their previous location of residence around the area of Antioch (an ancient Greek city within present day Hatay Province , Turkey), establishing the nucleus of the Maronite Church . More specifically, Maron, a fourth-century monk and the contemporary and friend of St. John Chrysostom , left Antioch for the Orontes River to lead an ascetic life, following

4455-596: The case during 1958 Lebanon crisis . Muslim Arab nationalists backed by Gamel Abdel Nasser tried to overthrow the then Maronite dominated government in power, due to displeasure at the government's pro-western policies and their lack of commitment and duty to the so-called "Arab brotherhood" by preferring to keep Lebanon away from the Arab League and the political confrontations of the Middle East. A more hard-nosed nationalism among some Maronites leaders, who saw Lebanese nationalism more in terms of its confessional roots and failed to be carried away by Chiha's vision, clung to

4536-441: The catholic church". The Maronites have also had a presence in Cyprus since the early 9th century and many Maronites went there following the Sultan Saladin 's successful Siege of Jerusalem in 1187 AD. During the papacy of Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585), steps were taken to bring the Maronites still closer to Rome. The Maronite College in Rome ( Pontificio Collegio dei Maroniti ) being founded by Gregory XIII in 1584. By

4617-410: The course of thousands of years. In a 2013 interview the lead investigator of the National Geographic Society 's Genographic Project , Pierre Zalloua , pointed out that genetic variation preceded religious variation and divisions: "Lebanon already had well-differentiated communities with their own genetic peculiarities, but not significant differences, and religions came as layers of paint on top. There

4698-549: The declaration that Lebanon was an Arab country, indistinguishable from its Arab neighbors. In the April 1936 Beirut municipal elections, Christian and Muslim politicians were divided along Phoenician and Arab lines in the matter of whether the Lebanese coast should be claimed by Syria or given to Lebanon, increasing the already mounting tensions between the two communities. Phoenicianism is still disputed by many Arabist scholars who have on occasion tried to convince its adherents to abandon their claims as false, and to embrace and accept

4779-429: The end of the Second World War , the Maronites gained substantial influence. Post-independence, they dominated Lebanese politics until the 1975–1990 civil war , which ended their supremacy. While the Taif Accords weakened Maronite influence, it endures alongside other dominant Lebanese communities, such as the Shiites and Sunnis . Lebanon's constitution was intended to guarantee political representation for each of

4860-601: The following percentages are estimates only. However, in a country that had last census in 1932, it is difficult to have correct population estimates. The last Census in Lebanon in 1932 put the numbers of Maronites at 60%. A study done by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1985 put the numbers of Maronites at 46% of the population. In 2012, Maronites constituted 31% of Lebanon 's population, according to estimates. The Maronite Church's website claims 1,062,000 members were in Lebanon in 1994 which would have made them around 31% of Lebanon's population. Maronite Catholics are

4941-436: The hills around Tripoli and Byblos by the 10th century. The Maronites managed then to become "civilly semiautonomous" where they settled and kept speaking Lebanese Aramaic in daily life and Classical Syriac for their liturgy. The Maronites welcomed the conquering Christians of the First Crusade in 1096 AD. Around the late 12th century, according to William of Tyre , the Maronites numbered 40,000 people. During

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5022-405: The intellectual and religious activities. Very few Roman temples were built in the coastal cities, hence the reason for the reign of paganism in the interior of the land. The Maronite movement reached Lebanon when in 402 AD Saint Maron's first disciple, Abraham of Cyrrhus , who was called the Apostle of Lebanon, realized that there were many non-Christians in Lebanon and so he set out to convert

5103-415: The issue of identity was brought up on several occasions, by various politicians including Druze leader Walid Jumblatt , who claimed that all Lebanese lack somewhat of a real identity and the country is yet to discover one everybody could agree on. Sami Gemayel , of the Gemayel clan and son of former president Amin Gemayel , stated he did not consider himself an Arab but instead identified himself as

5184-487: The largest Christian group, followed by Greek Orthodox. Maronites Maronites ( Arabic : الموارنة , romanized :  Al-Mawārinah ; Syriac : ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ , romanized :  Marunoye ) are a Syriac Christian ethnoreligious group group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant whose members belong to the Maronite Church . The largest concentration has traditionally resided near Mount Lebanon in modern Lebanon . The Maronite Church

5265-510: The latter of which (William Tyre) recorded both their kindness upon receiving him and the monothelitic views of which they recanted, stating; "The heresy of Maro and his followers is and was that in our Lord Jesus Christ, there exists and did exist from the beginning one will and one energy only, as may be learned from the sixth council, which as is well known, was assembled against them and in which they suffered sentence of condemnation. Now however...they repented all of these heresies and returned to

5346-408: The massacre was exacted under the orders of Monophysite Emperor Anastasius I, while others assign the responsibility to the Miaphysite Jacobite Syriacs. Following the Muslim conquest of the Levant in 637 AD, the Christians living in the low lands and coastal cities began to settle in the Mount Lebanon and to the coastal cities of the coast which did not particularly interest the Muslim Arabs;

5427-431: The mountains of Lebanon. Correspondence concerning the event brought the Maronites papal and orthodox recognition, which was solidified by Pope Hormisdas (514–523) on February 10, 518. A monastery was built around the shrine of St. Maro (Marun) after the Council of Chalcedon . The martyrdom of the Patriarch of Antioch in the first decade of the seventh century, either at the hands of Persian soldiers or local Jews, left

5508-407: The nation's religious groups. Under the terms of an unwritten agreement known as the National Pact between the various political and religious leaders of Lebanon, the president of the country must be a Maronite. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Lebanese people is a blend of both indigenous Phoenician elements and the foreign cultures that have come to rule the land and its people over

5589-426: The neighboring Levant , as well as a significant part in the Lebanese diaspora in the Americas, Europe, Australia, and Africa. The Maronite Church, under the patriarch of Antioch , has branches in nearly all countries where Maronite Christian communities live, in both the Levant and the Lebanese diaspora . The Maronites and the Druze founded modern Lebanon in Ottoman Lebanon in the early 18th century, through

5670-406: The newly Arab-controlled areas and inhabited by the Arab invaders gradually became a minority and many of those converted to Islam in order to escape taxation and to further their own political and professional advancement. In 685 AD, St. John Maron became the first Patriarch of the Maronite Church. The appointing of a Patriarch made the Byzantine Emperor furious, which led to the persecution of

5751-441: The population and is spread among several villages know locally as qornet el-roum (the corner of the Greek Orthodox). The villages that make up qournet el-roum are Mounsef , Jeddayel , Helwe, Berbara , Gharzouz, Rihanneh and Chikhane. Byblos District has three seats allocated to it in the Lebanese Parliament. Two of these seats are allocated to Maronite Catholics, while the other seat is allocated to Shia Muslims. As of 2022,

5832-451: The regions of Achrafieh and Metn which carries the legacy of Pierre and Bashir Gemayel . The Free Patriotic Movement is Christian-based political party which follows the agenda of former president Michel Aoun . It currently holds 17 seats of the 128 seats in Lebanon's parliament. The party has large support in Christian districts like Batroun and Jezzine . Other smaller Maronite-based parties that only receive local support includes,

5913-493: The religious make-up of the Byblos District's 85,684 voters were roughly 66% Maronite Catholics , 21% Shia , 4% Greek Orthodox , 4% Sunni , 2% Greek Catholic and 3% Others. The Byblos District rises from 0 to 2,300 meters above sea level in the north. "Jabal el-Mnaitra" is also in the district, and said to have an altitude of 2,911/2,807 meters above sea level, but this isn't confirmed. Moreover, The District hosts

5994-500: The ruling and social system known as the "Maronite-Druze dualism" in the Ottoman Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate . All Lebanese presidents , with the exception of Charles Debbas and Petro Trad , have been Maronites as part of a continued tradition of the National Pact , by which the prime minister has historically been a Sunni Muslim and the speaker of the National Assembly has historically been

6075-547: The several centuries of separation from the rest of the Christian world, they often claim to have been in full communion with the Catholic Church throughout. Despite this the majority of the accounts of those interacting with them at the time indicate that they were monothelites ; notable figures from the era such as the medieval historian Jacques de Vitry and the chronicler of the Pope, William of Tyre affirming this,

6156-462: The time of the Apostles, Christians were a minority among the majority pagans by the time Emperor Theodosius I issued The Edict of Thessalonica in 380 AD. The coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon remained prosperous during Roman rule, but Phoenicia had ceased to be the maritime empire it once was centuries ago and the north of Berytus ( Beirut ) and the mountains of Lebanon concentrated a big part of

6237-542: The time of the crusades in order to avoid being branded heretics by the crusaders. The modern Maronite Church, however, rejects the assertion that the Maronites were ever monothelites separated from the rest of the universal Church. The question remains a cause of significant offence to this day. In 687, the Emperor Justinian II agreed to evacuate many thousand Maronites from Lebanon and settle them elsewhere. The chaos and utter depression which followed led

6318-633: The traditions of Anthony the Great of the Desert and Pachomius . Many of his followers also lived a monastic lifestyle. Following the death of Maron in 410, his disciples built a monastery in his memory and formed the nucleus of the Maronite Church. The Maronites held fast to the beliefs of the Council of Chalcedon in 451. When the Monophysites of Antioch slew 350 monks, the Maronites sought refuge in

6399-516: The wind will wither away and Lebanon will remain Lebanese. I do not know what will become of those wretched people who claim that Lebanon is Arabic when Arabism disappears from the map of the Middle East and a new Middle East would emerge, which is clean from Arabs and Arabism . On an Al Jazeera special dedicated to the political Christian clans of Lebanon and their struggle for power in the 2009 election entitled, "Lebanon: The Family Business",

6480-545: Was mirrored in other Christian communities in the Byzantine Empire and helped facilitate the Muslim conquest of most of Eastern Christendom by the end of the century. The relationship between the Druze and Christians has been characterized by harmony and peaceful coexistence , with amicable relations between the two groups prevailing throughout history, with the exception of some periods, including 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war . The Maronite Catholics and

6561-417: Was under Syrian custody and in the presence of armed Syrian military inside the Lebanese parliament when votes on constitutional amendments were taking place. In a speech in 2009 to a crowd of Christian Kataeb supporters Gemayel declared that he felt there was importance in Christians in Lebanon finding an identity and went on to state what he finds identification with as a Lebanese Christian, concluding with

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