Middle East Information Resource
Religions/Belief Systems - Maronites
The Maronite Church is a Christian community, centered in Lebanon, and affiliated with the Catholic Church as part of the Eastern Rite. There are about 1.5 million Maronite Christians worldwide, with about 850,000 in the Middle East. Around 800,000 of these are in Lebanon and 40,000 are in Syria. There are also small groups in Israel and Cyprus.
In Lebanon they represent 25% of the population. According to the Lebanese constitution, the president of the country must be a Maronite Christian. In Syria about 40,000 Maronites live, headed by the archdioceses of Aleppo and Damascus, and the Diocese of Latakia. Over centuries, the Maronites lived isolated in the mountains, where religion came to play an important part in all aspects of their lives. In modern times, they have become an important part of the Lebanon’s urban population.
Early 5th century: The hermit Maron (now St. Maron) living in northeast Syria fetches the attention of local Christians, and a group starts to develop around his domain. This group survives his death and gets more supporters, which soon are referred to as `Maronites`.
The spiritual head of the Maronites is the Patriarch of Antioch, who actually resides in Jounieh north of Beirut. The liturgy was developed in the Maronite Church prior to its affiliation with Rome in the 12th century, but Roman Catholic elements have been introduced. The Syriac language is still used for the services, even though the Maronites are primarily Arabic speakers. The Maronites consider themselves within Orthodox theology. In the 7th century, they became supporters of the Monothelite doctrines of the patriarch of Constantinople, Sergius, who claimed that Jesus had no human qualities, only divine. Celibacy is not a prerequisite for the Maronite clergy, but is a matter of local custom.
In the late 7th century, with the arrival of Islam in Syria, the Maronites left for the Lebanon mountains, under the leadership of Joannes Maro (John Maron), their patriarch of Antioch. Over the following centuries, many other Christians fled to the same mountains, where they joined the Maronite Church. In the 12th century the Maronites aided the Crusaders in their battle against the Muslims, and in 1182 the Maronite Church becomes affiliated with the Catholic Church.
The Maronite Church has preserved its liturgy and kept its historical organization, with a Patriarch in Lebanon. In 1585 the Maronite College was established in Rome by the Pope and was administered by Jesuits. This became an important training center for the Church over the next 350 years. In 1648 France declared itself protector of the Catholics living in the Ottoman Empire; from this time forward, close ties have existed between France and the Maronites. This relationship would eventually become one of the foundations of the state of Lebanon. In 1858 Maronite peasants rebelled against the Maronite aristocracy and abrogated their feudal privileges.
On May 31, 1860 the Druze attacked Maronite towns, including Hasbaiya, Bkassine and Jezzine, and killed around 1,500 people. In June civil war erupted in Lebanon and many people were killed. The Ottoman rulers granted the Maronites autonomy, perhaps to make them feel safe, perhaps to divest themselves of any responsibility to protect them. Many Maronite Christians emigrated to the Americas in 1860.
In 1920 the Maronites were granted self rule under the French mandate. In 1943 Lebanon got its independence, and the constitution guaranteed the Maronites the position of president. During the Lebanese Civil War, beginning in about 1975, the Maronites are one of the main political groups. During most of this time, they were backed by Syria.