The Maronite Church will witness an important phase in its history on Sunday, as the Maronite Synod, the first in over 250 years, will officially start with a popular mass celebrated by the Maronite Patriarch.
Organizers of this important event are expecting thousands of Christian worshippers to attend the mass, which will be held in the courtyard facing Bkirki at 7pm, to pray for the success of the synod.
The last synod, which was called the Mount Lebanon Synod, was held in the 16th century, in the year 1736, in the monastery of Our Lady of Loueizeh.
Meetings for this year’s Maronite Synod will start on Monday, June 1. They will continue for two weeks, with closed sessions culminating in the issuing of a statement and numerous resolutions.
Maronite bishops from around the world, headed by Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, will discuss issues related to the Maronite Church and the Maronite presence in Lebanon and the world.
According to organizers, the aim of the synod is to discover Maronite heritage and traditions and to consolidate the Maronite identity.
The synod also aims to confirm the unity of the Maronite Church in the patriarchal territory and in the countries of the diaspora, as well as its commitment toward regional issues. It is also considered a call for hope and adherence to faith, as Sfeir put it in his patriarchal synod message.
The main topics to be discussed by participants will focus on the identity of the Maronite Church, its current status, the Maronite diaspora and laws and regulations of the church, as well as issues governing lives of priests, monks and nuns.
The identity of the Maronite Church, will be the introduction to the work of the synod and will look at the church’s historic and theological stages.
However, the topic of the Maronite diaspora will be of major importance, as well as being the most sensitive. The relationship between the diaspora, found in 11 countries and the church, will be addressed.
The aim is to help preserve communication and contact with the diaspora.