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77-656: Its full name is "General Directorate of General Security" ( Direction Générale de la Sûreté Générale (DGSG), المديرية العامة للأمن العام ). Its primary function is to collect and gather intelligence, and to inform the Lebanese government to ensure national security and public order throughout the territory of the Republic of Lebanon. General Security is also responsible for monitoring resident aliens on Lebanese soil by issuing them visas and entry permits into Lebanese territory, and residence permits and card stays. It monitors

154-513: A " Servant of God "), was able to find a middle ground between reformers and conservatives, and re-vitalized Maronite liturgical tradition. The Synod of Mount Lebanon sought to incorporate both traditions. It formalized many of the Latin practices that had developed, but also attempted to preserve ancient Maronite liturgical tradition. The Synod did not sanction the exclusive use of the Roman ritual in

231-707: A Shia for the first time since 1943. The General Security National Day as celebrated in Lebanon is on the 27th of August of each year. According to an investigation from Lookout and the Electronic Frontier Foundation , the GDGS has run at least 10 campaigns since 2012 to compromise the security of Android phones in at least 21 countries. The GDGS hacking team, designated " Dark Caracal ", used phising attacks to trick targets into downloading impersonations of WhatsApp , Viber and Signal , allowing

308-469: A cardinal, Sfeir was a cardinal bishop . He did not participate in the conclaves of 2005 and 2013 , having already reached the age limit of 80. Sfeir wrote several books, including "The sources of the Gospel-Bkerké" , (1975); "Personalities that disappeared 1961–1974" , (two volumes); and "Sunday sermons: spiritual reflections and stand of national positions" , (several volumes, 1988). Sfeir

385-586: A facilitating role in the economic and tourism of Lebanon (tracking incoming tourists to Lebanon depending on the General Security). [2] Archived 2011-11-07 at the Wayback Machine Maronite Church [REDACTED] Catholicism portal The Maronite Church ( Arabic : لكنيسة المارونية‎ ; Syriac : ܥܕܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ ܡܪܘܢܝܬܐ ) is an Eastern Catholic sui iuris particular church in full communion with

462-679: A lesser degree Syria , Jordan and Palestine . Saint Maron spent his life on a mountain in Syria, generally believed to be "Kefar-Nabo" on the mountain of Ol-Yambos in the Taurus Mountains , contemporary Turkey , becoming the cradle of the Maronite movement established in the Monastery of Saint Maron . Following Maron's death in 410 AD, his disciples built Beth-Maron monastery at Apamea (present day Qalaat al-Madiq ). This formed

539-673: A more effective church structure and to gradual emancipation from the influence of Maronite families. Due to closer ties with the Latin Church, the Maronite Church is among the most Latinized of the Eastern Catholic Churches . Contacts between the Maronite monks and Rome were revived during the Crusades. The Maronites introduced to Eastern Churches Western devotional practices such as the rosary and

616-454: A process of reform of complaints handling procedures and administrative complaints, thus, better and faster support for Lebanese citizens' requests and complaints. These efforts were continued by the successor, Major General Abbas Ibrahim since he took office in July 2011 in full agreement with Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and his successor Nouhad Machnouk . General Security aspires to play

693-520: A substantial payment and half the revenues of Cyprus. There they were conscripted as rowers and marines in the Byzantine navy . Additional resettlement efforts allowed Justinian to reinforce naval forces depleted by earlier conflicts. John Maron established himself in the remote Qadisha Valley in Lebanon. In 694, Justinian sent troops against the Maronites in an unsuccessful attempt to capture

770-499: Is the first married man to be ordained to the Maronite priesthood in North America and will not be expected to remain continent. The Maronite church has twenty-six eparchies and patriarchal vicariates as follows: In the 12th century, about 40,000 Maronites resided in the area around Antioch and modern-day Lebanon. By the 21st century, estimates suggest that the Maronite diaspora population may have grown to more than twice

847-845: Is to be given only to those who have attained the age of reason; priests were forbidden to give Communion to infants. In Orientale lumen , the Apostolic Letter to the Churches of the East, issued 2 May 1995, Pope John Paul II quotes Orientalium Ecclesiarum , the Second Vatican Council's Decree on the Eastern Catholic Churches: It has been stressed several times that the full union of the Catholic Eastern Churches with

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924-532: The Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church ( Arabic : الكنيسة الأنطاكية السريانية المارونية ; Syriac : ܥܹܕܬܵܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ ܡܪܘܝܝܐ ܐܢܛܝܘܟܝܐ ), it is part of Syriac Christianity by liturgy and heritage. The early development of the Maronite Church can be divided into three periods, 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

1001-576: The Orontes River in modern-day Syria to lead an ascetic life, following the traditions of Anthony the Great of the Desert and of Pachomius . Many of his followers also lived a monastic lifestyle. Maron is considered the founder of the spiritual and monastic movement that evolved into what is now the Maronite Church. Maronite Christianity has had a profound influence on what is now Lebanon , and to

1078-607: The Ottoman Empire , indigenous concentrated religious communities dealt mainly with the provincial administration. Officially, Maronites had to pay the jizya tax as non-Muslims, but sometimes the monks and clergy were exempt because they were considered to be "poor". Fakhr-al-Din II (1572–1635) was a Druze prince and a leader of the Emirate of Chouf District in the governorate of Mount Lebanon. Maronite Abū Nādir al-Khāzin

1155-663: The Stations of the Cross . Late in the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII sent Jesuits to the Lebanese monasteries to ensure that their practice conformed to decisions made at the Council of Trent . The Maronite College in Rome was established by Gregory XIII in 1584. The Maronite missal ( Qurbono ) was first printed between 1592 and 1594 in Rome, although with fewer anaphoras. Patriarch Stephan al-Duwayhî (1670–1704), (later declared

1232-661: The Syrian Army crushed Aoun's insurgency and the long civil war finally came to an end. Aoun's main objection to the Taif Agreement was that it had no firm timetable for Syrian withdrawal and that it abolished most of the Maronite president's powers, giving them to the Sunni Prime Minister . The Syrians went on to occupy Lebanon for another 15 years. The Syrian invasion was "forced" under international pressure to withdraw its forces from Lebanon, after

1309-804: The Syrians with their allies the PSP . Intense Arab diplomacy led to the Taif agreement and, on 5 November 1989, the Lebanese Parliament elected a new president, Rene Muawad . Sfeir supported the Taif proposals which Aoun rejected. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in support of Aoun, surrounding him in the Presidential palace in Baabda . About 1,500 of his supporters invaded Bkerké. Sfeir

1386-693: The pope and the worldwide Catholic Church , with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches . 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 . The seat of the Maronite Patriarchate is in Bkerke , northeast of Beirut , Lebanon . Officially known as

1463-887: The 76th Maronite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and the Whole Levant and head of the Maronite Church from 1986 to 2011. He was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1994. Nasrallah Sfeir was born in Rayfoun , Lebanon , on 15 May 1920. He was educated in Beirut , and at Mar Abda School in Harharaya where he completed his primary and complementary studies, and Ghazir where he completed his secondary studies at St. Maron Seminary. He graduated in philosophy and theology in 1950 at Saint Joseph's University in Beirut. He

1540-507: The Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun (813–33). To eliminate internal dissent, from 1289 to 1291 Egyptian Mamluk troops descended on Mount Lebanon, destroying forts and monasteries. Following the Muslim conquest of Eastern Christendom outside Anatolia and Europe in the 7th century and after the establishment of secured lines of demarcation between Islamic Caliphs and Byzantine Emperors, little

1617-595: The Catholic Church are Alexandrian , Antiochene , Armenian , Chaldean , Constantinopolitan (Byzantine), and Latin (Roman). The Maronite Church follows the Antiochene Tradition. Any Catholic may attend any Eastern Catholic liturgy and fulfill his or her canonical obligations at an Eastern Catholic parish. Any Catholic may attend any Eastern Catholic parish or service and receive any sacrament from an Eastern Catholic priest since all belong to

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1694-485: The Catholic Church. Maronites who do not reside within a convenient distance to a local Maronite Church are permitted to attend other Catholic churches while retaining their Maronite membership. The Maronite Patriarchal Assembly (2003–2004) identified five distinguishing marks of the Maronite Church: Maron , a fourth-century monk and a contemporary and friend of John Chrysostom , left Antioch for

1771-626: The Change and Reform bloc MPs are Christians. Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir died on 12 May 2019 in the hospital of Hôtel-Dieu de France , Achrafieh district, Beirut , three days before his 99th birthday and was buried at the see of the Maronite Catholic Patriarchate in Bkerké , Lebanon during a state funeral. Upon his death, Pope Francis stated, "A staunch defender of his country’s sovereignty and independence, he will remain

1848-469: The Church of Rome which has already been achieved must not imply a diminished awareness of their own authenticity and originality. Wherever this occurred, the Second Vatican Council has urged them to rediscover their full identity, because they have "the right and the duty to govern themselves according to their own unique disciplines. For these are guaranteed by ancient tradition and seem to be better suited to

1925-564: The Constantinople synods of 536 and 553 . An outbreak of civil war during the reign of Emperor Phocas brought forth riots in the cities of Syria and Palestine and incursions by Persian King Khosrow II . In 609, the Patriarch of Antioch, Anastasius II , was killed either at the hands of some soldiers or locals. This left the Maronites without a leader, which continued because of the final Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628 . In

2002-466: The Council of Chalcedon in 451. Monophysites of Antioch slew 350 monks and burned the monastery in an act of sectarian violence among Christians . Later, Justinian I restored the community. Correspondence concerning the event brought the Maronites papal and orthodox recognition, indicated by a letter from Pope Hormisdas (514–523) dated 10 February 518. Representatives from Beth-Maron participated in

2079-550: 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 . Maronite orientalist Joseph Simon Assemani presided as papal legate for Pope Clement XII . The synod drafted a Code of Canons for the Maronite Church and created the first regular diocesan structure. The Council of Luwayza led to

2156-569: The FPM 8 MP's there. Currently the FPM and its allies have one out of twelve orthodox seats, two out of eight catholic seats, two out of six Armenian seats and almost half of Maronite seats with the rest belonging to 14 March . But FPM still retains the biggest Christian single parliamentary block of 27 MPs, which includes MPs from other parties such as the Marada Movement as well as independent, pro-Syrian government personalities. Also not all of

2233-560: The French opened a consulate in Beirut. The Khāzin sheikhs subsequently increased in power and influence. In 1662, with the mediation of Jesuit missionaries, Abū Nawfal al-Khāzin was named French consul, despite complaints by Marseille merchants that he was not from Marseille. The Church prospered from the protection and influence of the Khāzins, but at the expense of interference in church affairs, particularly ecclesiastical appointments, which

2310-492: The GDGS to extract gigabytes of data. The reporting was denied by Major General Abbas Ibrahim. The General Directorate of General Security in Lebanon under the leadership of his Director, Major General Jamil al Sayyed (1998-2005), began for several years a large process of modernization, efficiency, transparency and reorganization of its departments, creating new Territorial Centres of the General Security in each of

2387-461: The Khāzins saw as an extension of their political influence. Bachir Chehab II was the first and last Maronite ruler of the Emirate of Mount Lebanon. 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

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2464-635: The Maronite Church is the Patriarch of Antioch and the Whole Levant , who is elected by the Maronite bishops and resides in Bkerké , close to Jounieh , north of Beirut . He resides in the northern town of Dimane during the summer. There are four other claimants to the Patriarchal succession of Antioch: Clerical celibacy is not strictly required for Maronite deacons and priests of parishes outside of North America; monks, however, must remain celibate, as well as bishops who are normally selected from

2541-478: The Maronite Church. Speaking before a gathering of Lebanese bishops in November 1989, the papal nuncio in Lebanon, Pablo Puente , condemned "the interference of clerical persons and institutions in politics without being officially mandated by the church hierarchy. ...An end must be put to political visits and declarations that have no clear Church mandate." The Vatican later sought to temper nationalist views in

2618-532: The Maronites rejected the Third Council of Constantinople and accepted monothelitism, only moving away from it in the time of the Crusades in order to avoid being branded heretics by the crusaders. The Maronite Church, however, rejects the assertions that the Maronites were ever monothelites and broke communion with Rome; and the question remains a matter of controversy. Elias El-Hāyek attributes much of

2695-726: The Middle East to the United States began during the latter part of the nineteenth century. When the faithful were able to obtain a priest, communities were established as parishes under the jurisdiction of the local Latin bishops. In January 1966, Pope Paul VI established the Maronite Apostolic Exarchate for the Maronite faithful of the United States. In a decree of the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Churches, Bishop Francis Mansour Zayek

2772-704: The Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Los Angeles, California, where he served until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 80. In December 2000, Robert Joseph Shaheen succeeded Chedid as eparch. Eparchies operate in São Paulo in Brazil, as well as in Colombia, Mexico, France, Australia, South Africa, Canada and Argentina. Former Brazilian president Michel Temer , the first Lebanese Brazilian to have led

2849-745: The Patriarch. John Maron died in 707 at the Monastery of St. Maron in Lebanon. Around 749 the Maronite community, in the Lebanon mountains, built the Mar-Mama church at Ehden . Meanwhile, caught between the Byzantines and the Arabs, the monastery at Beth-Maron struggled to survive. After they came under Arab rule following the Muslim conquest of Syria (634–638), Maronite immigration to Lebanon, which had begun some time before, increased, intensifying under

2926-606: The Regional Departments by being closer to the hamlets and isolated villages and to meet expectations of Lebanese citizens, thus, deliver their documents quickly and to ensure public safety in the area there. For example, renewals of documents can be done through the Post Lebanese (Lebanon Post) [1] , which transmits them to the General Security then go to renewal applicants, such as passports are renewed in one week. The Lebanese General Security has also initiated

3003-441: The Roman liturgical changes following Vatican II apply to the Maronite Church. Sancrosanctum Concilium says, "Among these principles and norms there are some which can and should be applied both to the Roman rite and also to all the other rites. The practical norms which follow, however, should be taken as applying only to the Roman rite, except for those which, in the very nature of things, affect other rites as well." The head of

3080-445: The Taif Agreement was illegal and unconstitutional. On 5 November Sfeir warned in a sermon that Aoun's stand "would lead to partitioning of the country." Who's who in Lebanon The patriarch's authority was challenged even within the Church itself, as several monastic orders issued proclamations supporting Aoun and denouncing the Taif Agreement . To bolster the patriarch's authority, the Vatican became directly involved in reorganizing

3157-422: The United States, during which he asked for the withdrawal of the Syrian army. He blessed in 2001 the establishment of Christian Qornet Shehwan Gathering opposed to the Syrian role and in the aftermath of the Hariri assassination he restated his opposition to Syria's predominant role in Lebanese politics, and the political changes following Syrian withdrawal appeared to have largely restored his previous position as

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3234-410: The administration of Baptism. However, in the Eastern tradition, the oil of catechumens is blessed by the priest during the baptismal rite. This blessing was now reserved to the Chrism Mass of Holy Thursday. A practice common among all the Eastern Churches is to administer Baptism and First Communion together. Unlike in other Eastern Catholic churches and similar to the Latin Church, Holy Communion

3311-459: 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, called Monothelitism , held that Christ had two natures (one divine and one human) but only one will (not a divine will and also a human will), based on a phrasing of Pope Honorius I (see Controversy over Honorius I ), and

3388-407: The clergy by appointing "visiting bishops" to supervise three especially militant monastic orders. In 1990 Sfeir called for the rival government in West Beirut to take over Aoun's "Christian enclave" in the east. "The legitimate government should spread its authority over the whole nation," he said in one interview. "It should not wait for an invitation from anyone to do so." Finally on 13 October 1990,

3465-529: The confusion to Eutyches of Alexandria, whose Annals El-Hāyek claimed contain erroneous material regarding the early Maronite Church, which was then picked up by William of Tyre and others. Robert W. Crawford concluded the same, pointing out that the heretic "Maro" mentioned in the Annals , which William of Tyre considers as the namesake of the Maronites, was a Nestorian from Edessa and could not have been Maron or John Maron . However, Donald Attwater , 20th Century historian of Eastern Christianity, affirmed

3542-540: The continued smooth functioning of government and a national consensus on his successor were the main priorities. In order to discuss the July 2006 Israel-Lebanon war and American policy on the affair, he met with Vice President Dick Cheney at the White House, and later talked with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice . On 15 October 2006, the Christian Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) held gatherings in which anti-patriarchal slogans were raised, denouncing Cardinal Sfeir's political stands which they consider contradictory to

3619-475: The crusaders and affirmed their affiliation with the Holy See of Rome in 1182. To commemorate their communion, Maronite Patriarch Youseff Al Jirjisi received the crown and staff, marking his patriarchal authority, from Pope Paschal II in 1100 AD. In 1131, Maronite Patriarch Gregorios Al-Halati received letters from Pope Innocent II in which the Papacy recognized the authority of the Patriarchate of Antioch . Patriarch Jeremias II Al-Amshitti (1199–1230) became

3696-432: The customs of their faithful and to the good of their souls." Cardinal Sfeir 's personal commitment accelerated liturgical reforms in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1992 he published a new Maronite Missal . This represents an attempt to return to the original form of the Antiochene Liturgy, removing the liturgical Latinization of past centuries. There are six Anaphoras. Patriarch Sfeir stated that Sacrosanctum concilium and

3773-445: The distinct but related Maronite ethno-religious group remains a principal grouping in Lebanon , with smaller minorities of Maronites in Syria , Cyprus , Israel , and Jordan . Emigration since the 19th century means that about two-thirds of the Maronite Church's roughly 3.5 million members in 2017 were located outside "The Antiochian's Range", where they are part of the worldwide Lebanese diaspora . The six major traditions of

3850-661: The estimated 2 million Maronites living in their historic homelands in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. According to the official site of the Maronite church, approximately 1,062,000 Maronites live in Lebanon , where they constitute up to 22 -23 percent of the population. Syrian Maronites total 51,000, following the archdioceses of Aleppo and Damascus and the Diocese of Latakia . A Maronite community of about 10,000 lives in Cyprus with approximately 1,000 speakers of Cypriot Maronite Arabic from Kormakitis. A noticeable Maronite community exists in northern Israel (Galilee), numbering 7,504. Immigration of Maronite faithful from

3927-431: The first Maronite Patriarch to visit Rome when he attended the Fourth Council of the Lateran in 1215. The Patriarchate of Antioch was also represented at the Council of Ferrara-Florence in 1438. Peter Hans Kolvenbach notes, "This contact with the Latin Church enriched the intellectual world of Europe in the Middle Ages. Maronites taught Oriental languages and literature at the universities of Italy and France." In

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4004-405: The first few years of his tenure as patriarch, generally deferring to the stance of the Lebanese President , but by 1989 he had become embroiled in national politics. Cardinal Sfeir submitted his resignation to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches in Rome in late 2010, but his resignation was not initially accepted because six Maronite bishops had submitted their resignations after reaching

4081-489: The first period. The second began 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. 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. After 518, the monastery de facto administered many parishes in Syria Prima , Cole Syria and Phoenicia . The third period

4158-426: The main spokesperson for his community. In the first half of 2006 the cardinal was critical of the political paralysis created by the controversy over whether President Émile Lahoud should serve the remainder of his term of office (which was specially extended under Syrian pressure in 2004 until November 2007). At the same time, he stressed that Lahoud should be removed only by lawful and constitutional means and that

4235-406: The media by ensuring they do not touch with their content, public order, or undermines an institution of the Lebanese state, and community components to the Lebanese society. Finally, it is responsible for issuing passports and travel documents to Lebanese citizens. Until 1998 the General Director of the General Security Directorate had been a Maronite when former President Emile Lahoud appointed

4312-458: The monasteries. Around 50% of the Maronite diocesan priests in the Middle East are married . Due to a long-term understanding with their Latin counterparts in North America, Maronite priests in that area have traditionally remained celibate. However, in February 2014, Wissam Akiki was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the U.S. Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon at St. Raymond's Maronite Cathedral in St. Louis. Deacon Akiki

4389-400: The nation, was the son of two Maronite Catholic Lebanese immigrants. 33°58′04″N 35°38′02″E  /  33.9678°N 35.6339°E  / 33.9678; 35.6339 Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir ( Moran Mor Naṣrallah Buṭrus Ṣufayr ; Arabic : الكاردينال مار نصر الله بطرس صفير ; Latin : Victor Petrus Sfeir ; 15 May 1920 – 12 May 2019) was

4466-399: The nucleus of the Maronite Church. In 452, after the Council of Chalcedon , the monastery was expanded by the Byzantine emperor Marcian . The Maronite movement reached Lebanon when St. Maron's first disciple, Abraham of Cyrrhus , who was called the "Apostle of Lebanon", set out to convert the non-Christians by introducing them to St. Maron. The Maronites subscribed to the beliefs of

4543-457: The patronage of Our Lady of Lebanon. The name of the Eparchy was modified to Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn. In 1994, the Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon was established with the cathedral at Los Angeles, California, under the patronage of Our Lady of Lebanon. John George Chedid , auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, was ordained as the first Bishop of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles at

4620-446: The political upheaval and large scale street protests which followed the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri (see Cedar Revolution ); at the end of April 2005, Sfeir was at times a vocal critic of Syrian prevarication in carrying out its pledge to withdraw, up until around 2003, falling silent again just as anti-Syrian views were becoming more widespread. His restraint in his comments at this time appeared to have lost him

4697-421: The retirement age of 75 in June 2010 His resignation was finally accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on 26 February 2011. Cardinal Sfeir was succeeded by Bishop Bechara Boutros Rahi who was elected as the new Patriarch for Antioch on 15 March 2011. Sfeir was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in the consistory of 26 November 1994. As the patriarch of a sui juris particular church who has been made

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4774-448: The role in both the ecclesiastical and civil spheres. He became a strong voice for reason and sanity in the latter years of the Lebanese Civil War , which raged from 1975 to 1990. He often spoke out against social and political injustices, and for the poor and disenfranchised. His writings and sermons set out his vision of how Lebanon could achieve a free and prosperous future. Like his predecessor, Sfeir largely stayed out of politics during

4851-498: The seat of the Maronite Church in Bkerké . The conclave backed Aoun's attempt to control the LF, calling for a restoration of state authority and the re-unification of state institutions. Following renewed violence as Aoun's attempted to blockade the militia run seaports South of Beirut a second conclave was held on 19 April, after which 23 Christian members of parliament called for a cease fire. The summer that followed degenerated into almost continuous shelling between Aoun's troops and

4928-405: The stance severely cut Christian support for the 8 March Alliance, especially when Aoun emerged as the biggest loser in the 2009 elections according to some estimates. The FPM blame the cardinal for making them lose 20% of Christian support using religious rhetoric, and for not objecting against the transfer of 15,000 Sunni voters from Beqaa villages to the Christian district of Zahle , which lost

5005-408: The support, in particular, of a majority among those Christians who had fled the country. The cardinal also urged restraint in anti-Syrian rhetoric, and for Lebanon to focus on its economic development rather than political rifts. Nevertheless, hundreds of thousands of Lebanese (mostly Christians) gathered in Bkerke and the roads leading to it on 27 March 2001, to welcome back the cardinal from a tour in

5082-520: The view that Maronites broke communion with Rome over monothelitism, however briefly. The Patriarch of Antioch Anastasius II died in 609, and Constantinople began to appoint a series of titular patriarchs, who resided in Constantinople. In 685, the Maronites elected Bishop John Maron of Batroun as Patriarch of Antioch and all the East. In 687, as part of an agreements with Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan , Byzantine emperor Justinian II sent 12,000 Christian Maronites from Lebanon to Armenia, in exchange for

5159-443: The will of the FPM Christians in Lebanon. The FPM bloc, led by retired general and current president Michel Aoun , constitutes the largest Christian bloc in the Lebanese parliament . Relations between the cardinal and the FPM and Hezbollah further deteriorated when the patriarch made an eleventh hour appeal directly before the 2009 elections renouncing Hezbollah and the FPM and warning Christians against voting for them. Many believe

5236-399: Was appointed the first exarch. The see, in Detroit, Michigan, with a cathedral under the patronage of Saint Maron, was suffragan to the Archdiocese of Detroit. In 1971, Pope Paul VI elevated the Exarchate to the status of an Eparchy, with the name of Eparchy of Saint Maron of Detroit. In 1977, the see of the Eparchy of Saint Maron was transferred to Brooklyn, New York, with the cathedral under

5313-445: Was consecrated the titular bishop of Tarsus by Patriarch Paul Peter Meouchi and had as his co-consecrators João Chedid , titular bishop of Arca in Phoenicia dei Maroniti, and Michael Doumith , Eparch of Sarba . Consequently, Sfeir served as patriarchal vicar. He was elected to the primacy of the Maronite Church by the Council of Maronite Bishops, on 19 April 1986, and he was confirmed by Pope John Paul II on 7 May 1986. Sfeir

5390-401: Was fluent in many languages: Syriac , French , Italian , Aramaic and Latin , as well as his native Arabic , being proficient in both classical and Lebanese dialects . On 17 February 1989, two days after General Michel Aoun launched an offensive against Lebanese Forces (LF) positions in East Beirut, in which 70 people were killed, Sfeir convened a meeting of Christian leaders at

5467-468: Was heard from the Maronites for 400 years. Secure in their mountain strongholds, the Maronites were re-discovered in the mountains near Tripoli, Lebanon , by Raymond of Toulouse on his way to conquer Jerusalem in the Great Crusade of 1096–1099. Raymond later returned to besiege Tripoli (1102–1109) after the conquest of Jerusalem in 1099, and relations between the Maronites and European Christianity were subsequently reestablished. The Maronites assisted

5544-593: Was keen on accelerating liturgical reforms. This work bore fruit in 1992 with the publication of a new Maronite Missal , which represents an attempt to return to the original form of the Antiochene Liturgy. Its Service of the Word has been described as far more enriched than previous Missals, and it features six Anaphoras (Eucharistic Prayers). Serving as the Vicar for two previous patriarchs prepared Sfeir for

5621-554: Was manhandled and filmed being forced to kiss a photo of Aoun. The following day he moved to the safety of Syrian controlled North Lebanon. Some sources believe that Sfeir's backing of the Taif accord was the result of pressure from the Vatican whose primary concern was to end the civil war. He is quoted as saying that it would be "a fatal error to believe that we can live alone on an island in which we run our affairs as we like." A few days later, he declared that Aoun's nonacceptance of

5698-552: Was meant as a compromise between supporters of Chalcedon, such as the Maronites, and opponents, such as the Jacobites . Monothelitism failed to settle the schism, however, and was declared a heresy at the Sixth Ecumenical Council in 680–681. The Council condemned both Honorius and Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople but did not explicitly mention the Maronites. Contemporary Greek and Arab sources suggest

5775-460: Was one of his foremost supporters and served as Fakhr-al-Din's adjutant. Phares notes that "The emirs prospered from the intellectual skills and trading talents of the Maronites, while the Christians gained political protection, autonomy and a local ally against the ever-present threat of direct Ottoman rule." In 1649, Patriarch Yuhanna al-Sufrari placed the Maronites under French protection, and

5852-571: Was ordained to the priesthood in the same year on 7 May. From 1951 to 1955 he served as priest to the parish of Rayfoun. In 1956, he was appointed the secretary of the Maronite Patriarchate, based in Bkerké . In the same year, he became professor of translation in literature and philosophy at the Frères Maristes (Marist Brothers) School in Jounieh . On 23 June 1961 Sfeir was appointed Titular bishop and Patriarchal vicar. On 16 July 1961, he

5929-611: 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. Other centers of historical importance include Kfarhay , Yanouh , Mayfouq , and the Qadisha Valley . Although reduced in numbers today,

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