Lebanese Maronite Christians
Classical Syriac | |
Religion | |
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Christianity (Maronite Catholic) |
Part of Lebanese cedar ) |
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Lebanese
The Maronite Catholics and the Druze founded modern Lebanon in the early eighteenth century through the ruling and social system known as the "Maronite–Druze dualism".[3] 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 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.[2]
Lebanon's constitution was intended to guarantee political representation for each of the nation's religious groups.
History
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 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 is no distinct pattern that shows that one community carries significantly more Phoenician than another."[7]
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.[2]
The followers of
The Maronite Christianity derived its name and religious identity from Saint
More specifically, Maron, a fourth-century
The Maronites held fast to the beliefs of the
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,
Instead, the Patriarch of Constantinople's doctrine and subsequent
In 687, the Emperor
The relationship between the
Culture
Religion
The Maronites belong to the Maronite Syriac Church of Antioch (a former ancient Syrian city now in
Geographic distribution within Lebanon
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.[21]
Demographics
Note that 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%.[22] A study done by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1985 put the numbers of Maronites at 46% of the population.[22]
In 2012, Maronites constituted 31% of Lebanon's population, according to estimates.[23] 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.[24] Maronite Catholics are the largest Christian group, followed by Greek Orthodox.[25]
Year | Maronite Population | Total Lebanese Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
1861 | 208,180 | 487,600 | 42.7% |
1921 | 199,181 | 609,069 | 32.7% |
1932 | 226,378 | 785,543 | 28.8% |
1956 | 423,708 | 1,407,858 | 30.1% |
1975 | 586,500 | 2,550,000 | 23% |
1988 | 999,672 | 4,044,784 | 24.7% |
Lebanese Maronite–born notable people
Khalil Gibran | |||||
- Michel Aoun, President of Lebanon (2016–2022)
- Camille Chamoun, President of Lebanon (1952–1958)
- Fuad Chehab, President of Lebanon (1958–1964)
- Charles Helou, President of Lebanon (1964–1970)
- Émile Eddé
- Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis, Maronite archbishop and Vatican Ambassador to Pakistan[32]
- Bechara El Khoury, President of Lebanon (1943–1952)
- Habib Pacha Es-Saad
- Suleiman Frangieh, President of Lebanon (1970–1976)
- Elias Sarkis, President of Lebanon (1976–1982)
- Bachir Gemayel, President of Lebanon 1982
- Amine Gemayel, President of Lebanon (1982–1988)
Pierre Gemayel, Founder of the Lebanese Kataeb
- Elias Hrawi, President of Lebanon (1989–1998)
- Khalil Gibran
- Émile Lahoud, President of Lebanon (1998–2007)
- Alfred Naqqache
- Michel Suleiman, President of Lebanon (2008–2014)
- Samir Geagea, President of the Lebanese Forces
- Joseph Aoun (general), Lebanese Commander
See also
- Religion in Lebanon
- Christianity in Lebanon
- Catholic Church in Lebanon
- Maronite Church
- East Beirut canton (Marounistan)
- Maronite flag
- Lebanese Melkite Christians
- Lebanese Protestant Christians
- Lebanese Greek Orthodox Christians
- Lebanese Shia Muslims
- Lebanese Sunni Muslims
- Lebanese Druze
References
- ^ a b Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs (19 September 2008). "Lebanon". 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-5381-2043-9.
- ISBN 9780817916664.
the Maronites and the Druze, who founded Lebanon in the early eighteenth century.
- ISBN 978-1-4381-2676-0.
- ^ "Programme on Governance in the Arab Region: Elections: Lebanon". United Nations Development Programme. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ISBN 9780817916664.
the Maronites and the Druze, who founded Lebanon in the early eighteenth century.
- ^ Maroon, Habib (31 March 2013). "A geneticist with a unifying message". Nature. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ISBN 978-1-900949-90-3.
- ^ Attwater, Donald; The Christian Churches of the East
- JSTOR 1454219.
- S2CID 163021809.
- ISBN 978-0-8156-2365-6.
- ISBN 9781317931737.
the Druze had been able to live in harmony with the Christian
- ISBN 9789652260499.
.. Europeans who visited the area during this period related that the Druze "love the Christians more than the other believers," and that they "hate the Turks, the Muslims and the Arabs [Bedouin] with an intense hatred.
- ^ CHURCHILL (1862). The Druzes and the Maronites. Montserrat Abbey Library. p. 25.
..the Druzes and Christians lived together in the most perfect harmony and good-will..
- ^ Hobby (1985). Near East/South Asia Report. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. p. 53.
the Druzes and the Christians in the Shuf Mountains in the past lived in complete harmony..
- ISBN 9780520087828. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ISBN 0-903983-92-3.
- ISBN 9780817916664.
the Maronites and the Druze, who founded Lebanon in the early eighteenth century.
- ISBN 978-1-59333-182-5.
- ^ "Maronites". Minority Rights Group International. 2005. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
- ^ a b c "Contemporary distribution of Lebanon's main religious groups". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ^ a b c "2012 Report on International Religious Freedom – Lebanon". United States Department of State. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "There are 3,198,600 Maronites in the World". Maronite-heritage.com. 3 January 1994. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
- ^ "Lebanon". United States Department of State. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ Yahya, Houssam (2015). La protection sanitaire et sociale au Liban (1860-1963) (PDF) (Thesis). Université Nice Sophia Antipolis.
- ^ "Lebanon: people and society"
- ^ Gharbieh, Hussein M. (1996). Political awareness of the Shi'ites in Lebanon: the role of Sayyid 'Abd al-Husain Sharaf al-Din and Sayyid Musa al-Sadr (PDF) (Doctoral). Durham: Centre for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, University of Durham.
- ISBN 9780190872151.
- ^ Fawwaz Traboulsi, Social Classes and Political Power in Lebanon (Beirut: Heinrich Böll Stiftung, 2014)
- ^ Abdel-Nour, Antoine (1982). Introduction à l'histoire urbaine de la Syrie ottomane (XVIe-XVIIIe siècle). Université Libanaise.
- ^ "Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
External links
- Baladites: Official website of the Lebanese Maronite Order Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- Antonins: Official website of the Lebanese Antonin Order Archived 26 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- Aleppians: Official Website of the Mariamite Maronite Order (O.M.M.) Archived 13 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine (in Arabic)
- Kreimists or Lebanese missionaries: Official website of the Congregation of Maronite Lebanese Missionaries
- The Syriac Maronites