Page 24 - Holyland Magazine - Catholic Edition 2014
P. 24
Those Christians who defended their faith in The Crusades and the Maronites
Jesus Christ, human and divine, were called The Maronites were isolated in the valleys
Maronites after a hermit priest, St. Maron,
and mountains of Lebanon for 350 years,
who was a great saint in that region of Syria. until the beginning of the Crusades. When
the Crusaders invaded the East, they were
More about St. Maron surprised to learn of the existence of the
The group derives their name from Saint Maron, Maronites. The Pope of Rome himself was
who lived on the mountains of Cyrrhus, near astonished. During the Crusader period,
Antioch, in the 4th century AD, in the open
air. God bestowed on him the gift of healing, the Maronites established relationships with
which made his fame spread throughout the France (especially after the visit of St Louis,
entire region. St. Maron died around the year King of France) and the Pope of Rome.
410 AD. His disciples continued his mission.
Abraham the hermit, the apostle of Lebanon, The Persecution & Diaspora
converted the Phoenician inhabitants of the In 1516, the Ottomans defeated the
mountains of Lebanon. Jebbet Bsharre and Mamlooks. The Maronites were granted
Mnaytra adopted Christianity. The Phoenician protection by France. They expanded in
pagans became Maronite Christians. Lebanon and mixed with other minorities. The
Maronites built churches, founded religious
St. John Maron, the irst Patriarch orders, formed schools and cultivated arid
of the Maronite Church lands. The valleys and the mountains were
Around 685, the Maronites appointed a
illed with monks and hermits. Many families
Patriarch, St. John Maron, who became Saint Maron, the founder of the Maronite
converted to Christianity and joined the
the irst Patriarch of the Maronite Church. Maronite Church. But between 1845 and
Church.
His appointment infuriated the Byzantine
1860, hatred was incited by the Ottomans,
Emperor. The appointing of the Patriarch
who worked so hard to break the Maronites’
was a pivotal event in the history of the In 1997, the Pope of Rome, John Paul II
spirit of independence. Dozens of villages,
Maronites, which led to another round visited Lebanon to give hope to the Lebanese
churches, and monasteries were completely
of persecution that left 500 martyrs. The people and particularly to the Maronites. He
destroyed. Thousands were martyred or
monastery of Bet Moroon was damaged. said, "Lebanon is more than a country, it is
displaced, and many left their homeland.
Many Maronites left their lands in Syria a message." Due to the severe persecution
The persecution returned between 1914
and joined their brethren in the mountains of the Church in Lebanon (especially the
of Lebanon. In the valleys of Lebanon, the and 1918, when the Ottomans blocked the Maronite Church), many were scattered
Maronite Church began to grow. roads to the mountains of Lebanon causing throughout the world, which made the Church
a human disaster. Tens of thousands of
grow outside Lebanon.
The Mountains of Lebanon people died of famine and disease, and
In 936, the monastery of Bet Moroon and The Maronite Church became truly
thousands left.
other Maronite monasteries were completely international. Today it includes not only
destroyed in Syria, as part of persecution Lebanese Maronites, Palestinian Maronites,
Between 1975 and 1990, Lebanon experienced
aimed at Christians. The Maronites and Syrian Maronites and Arab Maronites, but also
a destructive war. Tens of thousands were
their Patriarch were forced to make a very
killed, and thousands emigrated. The Pope
diicult decision: to leave the rich plains of of Rome supported the Maronites through American Maronites, European Maronites,
his prayers. In 1990, they divided against
Syria and seek refuge in the mountains of Brazilian Maronites, Australian Maronites, etc .
Lebanon. The Aramaic/Syriac Maronites
themselves, ighting each other. Consequently,
joined the Phoenician Maronites and the
hundreds of thousands left the mountains
of Lebanon and the country. God, however,
Mardaites in Lebanon. Protected by the For more information:
did not abandon his people. He consoled
mountains of Lebanon, the Maronites and www.Bkerke.org.lb
www.maronite-heritage.com
their Patriarch organized their Church away the Maronites, giving them three saints: St. www.thehiddenpearl.org/
from persecution. Sharbel, St. Rafqa and St. Nimatullah Hardini. www.usmaronites.com
24
Jesus Christ, human and divine, were called The Maronites were isolated in the valleys
Maronites after a hermit priest, St. Maron,
and mountains of Lebanon for 350 years,
who was a great saint in that region of Syria. until the beginning of the Crusades. When
the Crusaders invaded the East, they were
More about St. Maron surprised to learn of the existence of the
The group derives their name from Saint Maron, Maronites. The Pope of Rome himself was
who lived on the mountains of Cyrrhus, near astonished. During the Crusader period,
Antioch, in the 4th century AD, in the open
air. God bestowed on him the gift of healing, the Maronites established relationships with
which made his fame spread throughout the France (especially after the visit of St Louis,
entire region. St. Maron died around the year King of France) and the Pope of Rome.
410 AD. His disciples continued his mission.
Abraham the hermit, the apostle of Lebanon, The Persecution & Diaspora
converted the Phoenician inhabitants of the In 1516, the Ottomans defeated the
mountains of Lebanon. Jebbet Bsharre and Mamlooks. The Maronites were granted
Mnaytra adopted Christianity. The Phoenician protection by France. They expanded in
pagans became Maronite Christians. Lebanon and mixed with other minorities. The
Maronites built churches, founded religious
St. John Maron, the irst Patriarch orders, formed schools and cultivated arid
of the Maronite Church lands. The valleys and the mountains were
Around 685, the Maronites appointed a
illed with monks and hermits. Many families
Patriarch, St. John Maron, who became Saint Maron, the founder of the Maronite
converted to Christianity and joined the
the irst Patriarch of the Maronite Church. Maronite Church. But between 1845 and
Church.
His appointment infuriated the Byzantine
1860, hatred was incited by the Ottomans,
Emperor. The appointing of the Patriarch
who worked so hard to break the Maronites’
was a pivotal event in the history of the In 1997, the Pope of Rome, John Paul II
spirit of independence. Dozens of villages,
Maronites, which led to another round visited Lebanon to give hope to the Lebanese
churches, and monasteries were completely
of persecution that left 500 martyrs. The people and particularly to the Maronites. He
destroyed. Thousands were martyred or
monastery of Bet Moroon was damaged. said, "Lebanon is more than a country, it is
displaced, and many left their homeland.
Many Maronites left their lands in Syria a message." Due to the severe persecution
The persecution returned between 1914
and joined their brethren in the mountains of the Church in Lebanon (especially the
of Lebanon. In the valleys of Lebanon, the and 1918, when the Ottomans blocked the Maronite Church), many were scattered
Maronite Church began to grow. roads to the mountains of Lebanon causing throughout the world, which made the Church
a human disaster. Tens of thousands of
grow outside Lebanon.
The Mountains of Lebanon people died of famine and disease, and
In 936, the monastery of Bet Moroon and The Maronite Church became truly
thousands left.
other Maronite monasteries were completely international. Today it includes not only
destroyed in Syria, as part of persecution Lebanese Maronites, Palestinian Maronites,
Between 1975 and 1990, Lebanon experienced
aimed at Christians. The Maronites and Syrian Maronites and Arab Maronites, but also
a destructive war. Tens of thousands were
their Patriarch were forced to make a very
killed, and thousands emigrated. The Pope
diicult decision: to leave the rich plains of of Rome supported the Maronites through American Maronites, European Maronites,
his prayers. In 1990, they divided against
Syria and seek refuge in the mountains of Brazilian Maronites, Australian Maronites, etc .
Lebanon. The Aramaic/Syriac Maronites
themselves, ighting each other. Consequently,
joined the Phoenician Maronites and the
hundreds of thousands left the mountains
of Lebanon and the country. God, however,
Mardaites in Lebanon. Protected by the For more information:
did not abandon his people. He consoled
mountains of Lebanon, the Maronites and www.Bkerke.org.lb
www.maronite-heritage.com
their Patriarch organized their Church away the Maronites, giving them three saints: St. www.thehiddenpearl.org/
from persecution. Sharbel, St. Rafqa and St. Nimatullah Hardini. www.usmaronites.com
24
