THE WORLD MARONITE UNION Secretariat General
July 17, 2004
ON THE IDENTITY OF THE MARONITES
By Professor Walid Phares
Remarks delivered at the National Apostolic Maronites NAM Convention in
Orlando, Florida on July 18, 2004. Sent as a document via the Archdiocese
of Brooklyn to the Maronite Conclave in Bkreke
To His Beatitude and Excellency
Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir
Patriarch of the Maronite Syriac Antiochian Church
and the Council of Maronite Bishops
Your excellencies
As a Secretary General of the World Maronite Union WMU since 1988, and
previously as a Secretary for Information since 1985, and as a spokesman
for the Third World Maronite Union. And as a President for the Maronite
Intellectual Gathering 1980-1982, as well as an author on Maronite History
and issues; please find in this document the summary of the views of the
World Maronite Union and its affiliates around the world with regards the
issue of the Maronites identity, from historical, present and future
perspectives.
I - ON RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF MARONITE WORLD CONGRESSES
1979-2004
It is my duty to report to the Maronite Council of Bishops, which is
working hard on reassessing the present and future of the Maronite Church,
of the summary of the resolutions of Three World Maronite Congresses, and
of the three world seminars of the WMU which, throughout 21 years have
expressed their views and the views of the communities and organizations
they represent with regards the identity of the Maronites.
Per the documents and archives of the First and Second World Maronite
Congresses held in Mexico City in 1979 and New York in 1980, under the
auspices of the Patriarchate, and which resolutions were public and were
kept in the office of the Secretariat in Beirut,
Per the documents and archives of the Third World Congress, held in
Montreal in 1985, also under the supices of the Patriarchate, a Congress
which we have attended and were assigned the mission to publicize for its
resolutions,
Per the world seminars held in Limassol, Cypruss in 1988, with a
representative of the Patriarchate, and in Lausanne in 1989,
Per the world seminar held in Rome in 2000
All World Maronite Congresses and seminars have openly and clealy stated
that the historical identity of the Maronites, and the Maronite
Church is Antiochian Syriac. These declarations reflected and
still reflect the views of the Maronites as gathered around their Church
in several capitals of the world and under the suspices of their
Patriarchate. Hence, the World Maronite Union and all affiliates around
the world are faithful to these resolutions about the identity as spelled
out officially for over 21 years.
II - ON THE REALITY OF THE MARONITE IDENTITY
As related by main historians and experts, particularly past Maronite
historians, including the Church's chronicles, the historic identity of
the Maronite people is Aramaic, Syriac and Eastern. This identity, as a
national community was born in Mount Lebanon as of the 7th century AD. It
has since survived, florished and never abdicated. From ibn al Qalai, to
Patriarch Estefan al Duaihi, Paul Noujaim, Fuad Afram al Bustani, and
Father Butros Daw, the overwhelming majority of Maronites intellectuals
and historians have underlined this reality.
The Maronites themselves used Syriac as a language, then transformed it
into a cultural and spiritual language. Their spoken modern Language, the
Lebanese, is a form of a Syriac in its structure.
Maronites, particularly the nationbal community that lived in Mount
Lebanon and its peripheries for 13 centuries, have maintained their
historical identity despite attempts by regional powers, including Arab
and Ottoman empires to impose an alien identity. The Maronites defended
their culture and identity while many among them excelled in other
languages and even participated in the renaissance of other nations
languages such as Arabic.
In modern times, some Maronite political forces have accepted a concept
known as Arabic affiliation, as a result of the formation of the Lebanese
Republic in 1920, and its constitution in 1920. The National Pact of 1943
stated that Lebanon was a country with an Arab face. It was a mutual
concessionm between the Lebanese Christians, including their Maronite
majority, and the Muslim communities whose leaders insisted on Arab
identity.
But the statement of political affiliation with the Arab League didn't
mean that the Maronites negated their historical ethnic identity.
Regerdless of the political choices of many of their their political
forces, the Maronites stayed attached to their historical identity. This
was asserted in 1977 at the Saydet el bir conference of the Lebanese
Front, where pluralism was declared as a national identity, which
implicate the self identity of each Lebanese community. It was reasserted
in the 1980 Historical Document of the Lebanese Front, and again by the
Lebanese National Christian Council of 1984 in East Beirut.
III - ON THE MARONITE DIASPORA ATTCHEMENT TO ITS HISTORICAL IDENTITY
The Maronite Diaspora of more than 8 millions around the world declares
clearly that it is attached to its historical identity, the Syriac Aramaic
Eastern and Catholic identity. As cisitzens of many countries, Maeonites
around the world are organically linked with this identity. Any other
definition of identity will lead to the weakening of the links between the
World Maronites and the Maronite establishment in Lebanon. Maronites
around the world have an allegiance to the historic identity only. They
may understand the political circumstances of the time of Lebanon under
Syrian occupation, but will not and cannot accept a change of identity
under any circumstance. They have the freedom to oppose this change and
defend their historical identity as inherited from their ancestors.
The Maronites around the world, as they express their utmost respect to
the Patriarchate and to Cardinal Sfeir and praise his wisdom and courage,
calls on the Maronite Synod to reinforce the Lebanese Syriac identity of
the Church and the people they attend to.
The overwhelming majority of Maronites, those dispersed around the world,
are united on this issue as expressed above, in Congresses and Conferences
They wish the great success to the Synod and hope its resolutions would
strongly maintain and support the historic identity of the Maronites, in
full failthfulness to our ancestors, spiritual martyrs, history andthe
will of the communities around the world.
With our sincere regards
and all respects
Professor Walid Phares
Secretary General
World Maronite Union
Washington DC |
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