File III

/ The Maronite Church in Today’s World
Text 17 /
The Maronite Church and Higher Education

Chapter I : The Maronite Church: Educational Choices Throughout History

1.  The Maronites perceived that higher education constitutes a distinguished area in the mission and is one of its significant tools, because it paves the way for the Service of The Church and the human being through the mind, so they were seriously concerned about it Even if it were difficult for the researcher to pinpoint the exact time when the Maronites first knew the higher education, for reasons such as the vague definition of the term Higher Education in previous centuries on one side and on the other side, the lack of the accurate specific historical data concerning this subject. Taking under consideration that the Maronite Patriarchs started sending to Rome their brilliant Seminarians since the year 1470, to study in its colleges the Latin, Italian and French Languages, and follow profound studies in Philosophy and theology, yet, most would agree that the date of founding the Maronite College in Rome outlines the actual beginning of organized and targeted Maronite openness to higher education.

2.  The Maronites strived for higher education and acquired it first in Rome, specifically in the Maronite College founded in 1584, later, and since the nineteenth century at: The American University of Beirut (founded in 1866); Saint Joseph University (founded in 1875); and La Sagesse Institute for Law (1875 and 1913), as well as Universities in Europe and America. Then they endeavored to render and spread it (higher education) through the educational institutions they had established for that reason, the most prominent of which was Ain Waraka School founded at the end of the eighteenth century, in 1789 by Patriarch Joseph Istephan, and the Maronite School in Aleppo founded in 1666 by Priest Stephen Doueihi, who shall be elected Patriarch in 1670, both graduates of Maronite School in Rome. There is no need to delve into their history since it has been sufficiently scrutinized, registered, documented and publicized in lots of literature concerning this key era of the history of the Maronites and that of Lebanon.[1]

3.  The historical conditions today, needless to say, are different from those in the past. The founding of the Maronite College took place under in the framework of the challenges that were aroused by the Protestant Reformation Movement, and the sequential precautions that the Catholic Church took in facing it, in particular the Council of Trent (1554 and 1563), which launched a Catholic renewal movement of its own, those conflicts were overcome in the present days. The issues have changed dramatically, in those ancient historical periods; education was almost[2] limited to the Maronites Clergy, whereas today it includes all Lebanese of all denominations. The Maronite College of Rome was the only institution of higher education co-founded by the Lebanese Maronites, while today the number of such institutions in Lebanon exceeds forty.

Our main concern in the above historical preview is to extract the main constants, despite the changes in circumstances and issues, and despite the development in Higher Education targets, the reasons for constructing its establishments, its functions, tasks, progress, achievements and the difficulties and paradoxes that face it, because these constants are rich in lessons, and by bringing them up and reflecting on them in our Holy Synod will designate some of the future’s horizons and its challenges, and enlighten its path, as well as to help us to adopt the choices and decisions which would achieve the benefits for our denomination and our country for all its citizens, sects and categories, and help us to be committed to its consequences.

First: The Maronites’ enthusiasm in Seeking Higher Education

4.  The most significant of these constants is the clear interest of the Maronites in Higher Education, which was mentioned previously. This interest started to show at an early stage in history with the first expedition of young Maronite men to the West in the last quarter of the fifteenth century for this aim. Amongst them was Gabriel son of Qalaai described by some historians as “the first Maronite to receive a European education” who later became bishop and whose works in theology, history and Law generally, and his “zajals” specifically, earned widespread fame.

Archbishop Youssef al-Dibs was one of the first to highlight the old and continuous interest of the Maronites in higher education by including a historical background revealing this interest in the foreword he handwrote in 1875 and by which he forwarded for the Constitution of La Sagesse College, and which states: “Grace be to God our Maronite denomination is characterized by the strive for education and building schools from which outburst numerous and famous scholars and intellectuals. Even in the middle Ages their schools instructed the youth on virtue and knowledge. Later on, its school that was bestowed by His Holiness Pope Gregory XIII in Rome in 1583 was very famous…”[3].

5.  Upon reading the history of the Maronite College in Rome, one can only appreciate the awareness of the Maronite Patriarchs about the necessity to educate their Clergy scientifically, staid, and sufficient education, as well as their nonstop thrives and efforts deployed in providing the most suitable conditions for this education. The reports of the envoys that were dispatched to negotiate, on their behalf, the establishment of the College, with the Vatican competitive departments, and the correspondence of the Patriarchs reveal this awareness and strive. The major evidence of the fact, that the Maronites’ interest in education was not circumstantial or transient, but rigorous and continuous, is the wearing and long task, assumed by Archbishop Elias Howayek (before he became Patriarch) to regenerate the Maronite College after it was closed in 1808 upon the French soldiers’ occupation of Rome: he deployed strenuous efforts traveling through the cities of Italy and France even to Assitana to raise donations and necessary funds in this regard.

Moreover one must point out the worthiness of the sacrifices, whether Physical or mental tolerated by the students of the Maronite College in Rome in order to achieve their education. Patriarch Stephen Dowaihi’s letter to them clearly describes some of these: “You know that you have left your country and parents to seek Theology\ spiritual studies, and you have suffered from the difficulties of travel and bitterness of emigration…Since you have chosen education and knowledge over your land and families when you were too young, you must work on achieving them and spend long nights assimilating them…. We are well-aware that the road is filled with thorns and pebbles…”

  1. In addition to the awareness of church guardians to the necessity of higher education and strive to provide it, and the acceptance of seminarians to go through all the difficulties to achieve it, we discover that Maronites sake this sort of education in impressive numbers. 280 students graduated from the Maronite College of Rome during its first period, and approximately 1,000 individuals graduated from Ain Waraka School from the time of its founding until its definite close. These numbers might seem few; but if set in the historical perspective, taking into consideration the demography at that time, the student capacity of these schools, and the fact that all their services were free of charge including housing and food during the whole period of their education, in addition to travel expenses back and forth to Rome, then their significance is fully indicated and it surely express the serious and ample interest of the Maronites in higher education. In the light of all the above we observe that the number of graduates from both schools indicates clearly that the number of Maronites joining them is worthy of our attention. The value of those numbers and their indications are magnified by the trace those graduates left in Lebanon and the East, at the level of religion, literature, thought, politics, culture, and their indispensable and definite role in the Arab Renaissance, and both of which: the role and trace have already been amply studied and praised rendering them needles of any more presentations.

Second : The Maronites’ Interest in Arabic and Foreign Languages

7.  The discussion about the Maronite College in Rome is not complete unless we mention its interest in teaching foreign languages too and training its students to excel in them, and to translate from and into these languages, which led to introducing the east traditions and civilizations to the west, and the openness of the East to the civilizations and cultures of the West and its entrance into Modernism, and reviving the Arabic language and its literature; thus realizing the Arab Renaissance.

The Maronites acknowledged at early stages the importance of languages as tools for communication, understanding, and conversation, to the extent that the strongest reasons for establishing the Maronite College in Rome, as also the main results from the execution of this project were related to language issues. Superior Father Peter Fahed mentioned that the main target of the Patriarchs for sending promising Maronite seminarians to Rome since 1470, was to study in its universities, in addition to Philosophy, Theology, and other sciences, the Latin, Italian, and French languages, “so that they could translate the Papal bulls and encyclicals, henceforth they could correct and reprint liturgical texts with their translations”[4].

8.  Father Sarkis al-Tabar, in his study highlighted the linguistic reasons and motives of establishing the College, based on old manuscript kept in the Vatican Archives (under no. 5528), saying: “After their education in Rome, these students may deepen the faith of the children of their Church, as their predecessors did, such as Archbishop Gabriel Qalaai, who wrote many beneficial works. The Roman authorities also know that the failure of the Franciscan missions in the East in the second half of the 15th century, goes back to many essential reasons: difference between the missionaries mentality and that of the Eastern people, and the lack of means of knowing the languages of this area. So, upon completing their studies, these Maronites would become effective tools in the hands of the Apostolic See to spread the gospel in these countries and would be mediators between the Church of Rome and the peoples of Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Ethiopia, and even Eastern India”[5].

9.  The Maronites also knew the importance of mastering foreign languages, especially Latin, to benefit from the sciences of the West, and establish personal contact and direct relations with it without recourse to mediator thus eliminating any misunderstanding. At the same time, they were aware of the importance of mastering Eastern languages, especially Syriac and Arabic, to fully assume and undertake their mission and to disseminate the dogmas of faith and their knowledge in modern sciences in their own countries. Their openness to the west through excelling its languages, can be motivated only by their authentic bonds to the East and their strong desire to serve its peoples. The students of the Maronite College of Rome may be the best to be truly aware of the real and deep sense of correct bilingualism, this as it was later expressed by the contemporary Orientalist Father Michel Alard who wrote: “Bilingualism cannot be considered a gain unless it is a tool of dialogue requested and called forth continuous. If we take under account the requirements of development, it becomes clear that bilingualism can only be effective if it is accurately directed towards enriching and developing the mother language”[6].

10.  Within the requirements of this framework of awareness is enlisted the carefulness of the Jesuit monks who took over the management of the Maronite College for 189 years, from its founding until the cancellation of their order in 1773, in appointing Maronite monks of its members “in order to revive the authentic liturgical life, teach Arabic and Syriac, and facilitate spiritual prayer in the students mother tongue”, as was mentioned by Father Sami KHOURY in an intervention entitled: “Maronite Jesuits, in the service of Maronite College”. Father Khoury dedicated a section of his intervention to Father Gerges Obeid Benjamin who was appointed a Director of Studies at the Maronite College, students’ advisor, and professor of Eastern languages who held these positions for twenty-four consecutive years, he said: “…Twenty-four years are considered the golden age of the Maronite College due to Father Benjamin’s activities between 1727 and 1735, as documented in the Propaganda Archives …”[…]

Since students returning home from Rome after an absence of ten or more years, suffer from total ignorance of their peoples’ psychiatry, traditions, habitual idioms, methods of communicating with them, and with their neighboring denominations and different religions, so, Father Gerges organized sessions with them, concerning these issues, in Arabic and even in Syriac.

The writer ended his document with a remark and a suggestion. The remark being on the necessity to assimilate both the dogmatic and literary theologies in Arabic, since the most educated among priests, is rendered least useful, without the correct means to communicate their knowledge.

While the aspiration was, that the College would host one full year, any graduate who needs to master the two theologies in the mother tongue, before returning home”[7].

  1. In fact, the students of the Maronite College mastered a number of languages: Latin, Greek, Italian, French, Hebrew, in addition to Syriac, their liturgical language and which they used in conversation besides the Arabic, their national Language. That qualified them to write books in these languages and translate from and into them; thus introducing Eastern Studies into the European institutions and become the pioneers of Orientalism in the West. Therefore it was up to them actually to establish the first cultural contact between the East and the West. The Italian Orientalist Gabrielli briefly expressed this fact saying: “The Maronites are the Humankind translators and interpreters. They were the European ambassadors to the East, and Eastern languages teachers to the West. Thus, they set up a connecting line between the civilizations of East and West.”. It is worthy to mention here some of their leaders:

1.  Gabriel Sahyouni, interpreter of King Louis XIII. He translated a series of historical books into French, and taught Eastern languages at the Royal College in Paris, and published the multilingual Torah.