Maronite church facing Exodus

Historically, the majority of Maronite people live in Lebanon with additional smaller communities in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Holy land, and Cyprus. Lebanon, despite its small area (10452 sq ft.), has a larger disproportional community in rapport to its population. The emigration from Lebanon started in 1854, and continuously expanded disproportionally without any plan or policies to thwart the Exodus, even today. Consequently, Lebanese people, particularly Maronites, are scattered in more than 100 countries across five continents.

During the Maronite synod concluding on 2006, The Maronite Church addressed the ramifications of immigration and adopted the concept of “expansion” to describe its parishioners that settled out of the patriarchal domain. This concept contains a new ecclesiastic vision for immigrants and immigration. In the beginning of the discussions within the synod assembly, a significant number of participants approached the issue of how to halt the Maronite migration from Lebanon. Afterward, they realize how immigrants preserve their Maronite belonging; although they are not official Lebanese citizens anymore, rather they become citizens Maronite in their “new countries”.

As a result, after deep debate, the assembly abandoned this approach and adopted the concept of "expansion" to describe the Maronite migration— instead of others such as immigrants, expatriation, and the diaspora. For a better understanding of this transformation, it is useful to revisit the writings of Bishop Hamid Morani, a philosopher who applies the Hegelian approach to understanding history. He clarified these multiple concepts: diaspora, assembly, alienation, and expansion, and he distinguished between them as follows:

Diaspora: Originally a biblical term, it was used to refer to the Jews living outside of Israel. In the Bible, the diaspora resulted from deviating from God's commandments, on one hand, and external pressures, such as invasions, occupations, or captivity, on the other. The Maronite history has been intertwined with that of the diaspora since the time these pioneers fled from Syria to northern Lebanon. They then scattered across Lebanon and eventually left Lebanon to various parts of the world. Morani states that "the Maronite Church was a church of the diaspora. A minority church on one hand, and a church spread all over the world on the other. It is threatened here and there, either to assimilate or to cease." Morani’s aim is to emphasize that the Maronite migration initially made them a diaspora, facing external challenges that led them to leave their homeland in search of safety worldwide. Diaspora has a positive aspect, negating the notion of the ghetto. The dispersed live at the heart of the world, demonstrating resilience and creativity. Furthermore, diaspora generates a desire and nostalgia for the motherland, history, and symbols.

Moreover, Assembly has typically been the opposite of diaspora. Throughout history, Maronites, after being dispersed, united to form assemblies. This happened when they arrived in various areas of Lebanon and when they migrated to different parts of the world. Following the assembly, there was the pilgrimage, aiding in reconnection with the land that becomes a pilgrimage site for the dispersed. Lebanon symbolizes a pilgrimage land for the Maronite diaspora.

While Alienation: In its ordinary sense, it means leaving the land of ancestors and history for a foreign land. It signifies openness and division or separation from oneself. Philosophically, it means losing one's self-identity and abandoning it to others.

In addition, Bishop Morani calls for adopting the concept of Expansion, instead of exile, especially for modern immigration. Expansion arises from the awareness of Maronite expatriates, considering themselves involved in the fate of Maronites in the homeland, not just individually but collectively. Expansion also encompasses the perception of resident Maronites who believe that expatriates are essentially the same as those dispersed across the world.

The Maronite concept of expansion signifies the idea of possessing a spiritual distance outside the historical environment that defined their cultural identity. It represents the desire for breaking away from the present, boundaries, cultures, and limitations.

The discussions in the assembly addressed the rearticulation of concepts originally established by Morani. The assembly further expanded upon these concepts as follows: "Alienation" includes negative and pessimistic elements, such as detachment from one's country, family, and heritage. The term "diaspora" might be less pessimistic, but it carries the meaning of scattering, weakness, and loss. As for "expansion," even though it involves being distant from one's homeland, it also signifies a relationship akin to the relationship between the sun and the spread of its rays. This is because expansion carries traditions, customs, and heritage – it is an extension and continuity for them (Bishop Youssef Dergham). Additionally, it conveys the geographical and historical extension of the Maronites. It also represents the aspiration for transcending the present, boundaries, cultures, frameworks, and limitations (Fr François Eid).

The Maronite concept of expansion, from an anthropological standpoint, is the possession of Maronitism at a pastoral distance outside the framework of its historical environment, which defined its cultural identity (Guitta Hourani). Expansion differs from alienation, due to the ecclesiastical and apostolic significance it holds (Carole Dagher).

Thus, it becomes clear that the adoption of the concept of expansion in the assembly was not merely a literary choice, selecting one phrase over another. Instead, it contains a historical and ecclesiastical awareness of the importance of expansion, inviting the Maronite Church to play an active historical role – both locally and globally – through its expansion..

Within this conceptual framework, to ensure that expansion doesn't become actual migration, alienation, or dispersion, several essential conditions must be met. The main three are patriarchal centrality, Lebanon's status as a symbolic and spiritual country, and the distinct Maronite religious identity.

The concept of expansion reflects well the reality of Maronite church across the world in several countries and cities where Maronite communities preserve these three conditions.

Fr Jean maroun El-Helou

Wednesday 15 November 2023