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O n t w o o c c a s i o n s h e l e f t L e b a n o n a n d j o u r n e y e d t o R o m e t o d e a l w i t h a f f a i r s i n v o l v i n g t h e e a s t e r n C h u r c h e s . H i s f i r s t trip was during the papacy of Pope Callixtus III, between 1455 and 1458. The second trip was in 1469. On this occas i o n o n e o f h i s a i m s w a s t o r e q u e s t t h e P a l l i u m f o r t h e n e w P a t r i a r c h B o u t r o s I b n H a s s a n . T h i s t i m e t h e P o p e w a s Pope Paul II (1464-1471) and he sent a letter dated August 5th 1469 to the Patriarch along with the Pallium. In 1494 Ibn Al Qelahy wrote to Patriarch Simeon of Hadeth (1492-1524) and the letter shows t h a t b y t h e e n d o f t h e 1 5 t h c e n t u r y relations with France and Rome were full y r e s t o r e d f o r a l l p r a c t i c a l p u r p o s e s . I n t h e l e t t e r h e e n c o u r a g e d t h e P a t r i a r c h t o r e q u e s t t h e P a l l i u m , a s a c e r d o t a l v e s t m e n t d e c o r a t e d w i t h w h i t e w o o l b a n d a n d b l a c k c r o s s e s , according to the ancient Maronite tradition. Franciscan Brother Gryphon “ I n t h e t i m e o f Q u e e n C o n s t a n c e , T h e M a r o n i t e s b e g a n t o r i n g b r o n z e b e l l s j u s t l i k e i n t h e western Latin Church. Up to that time they had simply used wood bells like the Greeks t o c a l l t h e p e o p l e t o p r a y e r. A n d w h e n t h e s a m e Q u e e n b o u g h t t h e c h u r c h e s o f J e r u s a l e m n a m e l y t h e C h u r c h o f t h e R e s u r r e c t i o n , t h e c h u r c h o f t h e To m b o f M a r y, the church on the Mount of Olives and in Bethlehem for 80.000 dinars, she donated to the Maronites the cave of the Cross and reserved altars f o r t h e m i n t h e o t h e r c h u r c h e s o f J e r u s a l e m . S h e allowed them to celebrate Mass on the altars o f t h e F r e n c h w i t h t h e i r v e s t m e n t s . A s w e l l a s t h a t , s h e s u c c e e d e d i n a r r a n g i n g f o r t h e m t h e c o n f i r m a t i o n o f t h e s e g i f t s f r o m t h e H o l y S e e . I n J e r u s a l e m , t h e M a r o n i t e s s w o r e a n d a f f i r m e d i n w r i t i n g t h e i r s u b m i s s i o n and allegiance to the faith of Rome”. C h u r c h o f t h e H o l y S e p u l c h r e ( a l s o o f R e s u r r e c t i o n ) & C h a p e l o f the Agony of the Virgin in Jerusalem
T h e D e c l i n e o f t h e M a m l u k s a n d t h e A r a b l a n g u a g e A time of general decline in the Near East began with the period in which the Mamluks were in power. This period of decline lasted until the 19th century. War, anarchy, disease, famine and loss of freedom are the op posite of the conditions which are necessary for development and progress at all levels. Added to that was the i s o l a t i o n i n w h i c h t h e M a m l u k s a n d l a t e r t h e O t t o m a n s a n d t h e A r a b s f o u n d t h e m s e l v e s , w h i c h p r e v e n t e d a n y r e a l exchange of scientific or spiritual culture. The Mamluks Sultans, apart from being tyrants and simply criminals, were i n g e n e r a l a n u n e d u c a t e d p e o p l e . A m o n g t h e m t h e r e w e r e s o m e w h o w e r e a c t u a l l y i l l i t e r a t e . F o r e x a m p l e , A l - A s h r a f S a y f a d - D i n E n a l ( 1 4 5 3 ) w a s c o m p l e t e l y i l l i t e r a t e a n d A z - Z a h i r S a y f a d - D i n B e l b a y ( 1 4 6 7 ) w a s i l l i t e r a t e a n d h a l f m a d . Wi t h r e g a r d t o t h e A r a b i c l a n g u a g e , e v e n t h o u g h t h e r e i g n o f t h e M a m l u k s w a s a t i m e o f c u l t u r a l d e c l i n e , A r a b i c l a n g u a g e dominated in the Middle East, except for some isolated pockets where they were clusters of Christians, Monophysites, Nestorians or Maronites. During the whole of the millennium starting with the fall of Antioch in 638 until the coming of t h e O t t o m a n s i n 1 5 1 6 , t h e M a r o n i t e s n e v e r l o o k e d o n t h e A r a b s o r M a m l u k s a s A r a b s o r M a m l u k s . F o r t h e M a r o n i t e s t h e y w e r e s i m p l y a l l M u s l i m s . T h e y l e a r n e d l i t t l e o f t h e i r l a n g u a g e a n d o n l y t h e B i s h o p s a n d P a t r i a r c h s k n e w h o w t o w r i t e i t . D u r i n g t h e t o t a l p e r i o d o f t h e M a m l u k r e i g n n o w r i t t e n w o r k o f a n y r e a l w o r t h w a s p r o d u c e d . T h i s a d d e d t o t h e l a c k o f i n t e r e s t i n t h e A r a b i c l a n g u a g e o n t h e p a r t o f t h e M a r o n i t e s . A c c o r d i n g t o t h e t e s t i m o n y o f D i Vi t r y, t h e M a r o n i t e s m a d e u s e o f t h e C h a l d e a n a l p h a b e t ( S y r i a c ) f o r w r i t i n g w h i l e a t t h e s a m e t i m e s p e a k i n g t h e A r a b l a n g u a g e . I n 1 3 5 6 w h e n t h e C r u s a d e r s a t t a c k e d A l e x a n d r i a w i t h t h e h e l p o f t h e M a r o n i t e s o f C y p r u s , t h e M a m l u k S u l t a n i n a n a c t o f r e v e n g e p u t a n u m b e r o f M a r o n i t e b i s h o p s i n j a i l . T h e B i s h o p o f E h d e n i n t h e n o r t h o f L e b a n o n m a n a g e d t o f l e e i n t i m e a n d w h i l e i n h i d i n g h e c o p i e d t h e G o s p e l s i n t o S y r i a c a n d i n t o A r a b i c u s i n g S y r i a c o r C h a l d e a n l e t t e r s . I n a d d i t i o n t h e r e a r e d o c u m e n t s e x t a n t o f t h e M a r o n i t e S y n o d s o f t h e 1 6 t h a n d 1 7 t h c e n t u r i e s . T h e y s h o w a poor level of Arabic mixed with many Syriac words. This points to the fact that even the Bishops themselves, s u p p o s e d l y t h e e l i t e a n d w e l l e d u c a t e d o f t h e c o m m u n i t y, d i d n o t k n o w h o w t o w r i t e c o r r e c t , e l e g a n t a n d l i t e r a r y A r a b i c . I t w a s o n l y w i t h t h e c o m i n g o f J a c o b D i b s y ( + 1 6 9 5 ) a n d h i s d i s c i p l e B i s h o p G e r m a n u s F a r h a t ( + 1 7 3 2 ) t h a t a writer of correct and elegant Arabic appeared among the Maronites. In the 19th century the decline in the A r a b i c l a n g u a g e c a m e t o a h a l t a n d t h e M a r o n i t e s b e c a m e t h e b e s t a n d m o s t f e r v e n t c r a f t s m e n o f t h e A r a b i c R e v i v a l . Finally, to sum up, one can say that the time of the Mamluks got the reputation it deserved; a time of decline in all senses of the word, of anarchy and corruption in the race for power. In every country where the Mamluks ruled, whoever paid the most came to positions of power. Their successors, the Ottomans were to follow, with little difference between them, the same part of decadence, anarchy and corruption.
Page 1 and 2: Maronite Catholic Church Ou r La Ma
Page 3 and 4: Divine Mercy
Page 5 and 6: The Mamluks or the Slaves in Power
Page 7: He was the first historian of the M
Page 11 and 12: Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathol
Page 13 and 14: Term 2 - Extra Murals Dancing Girls
Page 15 and 16: Entertaining our Senior Citizens
Page 17 and 18: S o , S a t u r d a y m o r n i n g
Page 19: Our Easter Pilgrimage to Lebanon By
Page 22 and 23: CEDAR LEAF F r i d a y, 6 t h M a y
Page 24 and 25: Mr Eid Chidrawi, PRESIDENT OF WLCU
Page 26 and 27: Youth Soccer Day 25th June 2011 Nor
Page 28 and 29: T h e W e d d i n g o f L a w r e n
Page 30 and 31: The Wedding of Mitchell and Sam Arn
Page 32 and 33: Ba p t i s m s & We d d i n g s Co

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