My Dear Brothers and Sisters

T h e h i s t o r i a n R a m b a u d c o m m e n t s i n h i s w o r k “ T h e M a r a d a ” o n t h ei m p r u d e n c e a n d g r e e d o f J u s t i n i a n I I w h i c h l e d h i m t o w e a k e n t h e p o w e r o f t h eMarada in Lebanon thinking that in this way he would effect peace with the Arabs.One people one nationT h e M a r a d a w h o r e m a i n e d i n L e b a n o n , t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e C h r i s t i a n s o f t h e m o u n t a i n o u sr e g i o n s a n d t h o s e o f t h e c o a s t a l p l a i n s , f o r m e d o n e p e o p l e , t h e M a r o n i t e p e o p l e 1 7 . T h i s i s w h a t t h eh i s t o r i a n , P h i l i p H i t t i , h a s t o s a y : “ T h o s e w h o a r r i v e d l a t e r i n t o L e b a n o n i n t e g r a t e d t h e m s e l v e swith the Aramaeans, the inhabitants of the country and together with them created a refuge for thed e f e a t e d a n d u n h a p p y p e o p l e w h o c a m e f r o m t h e i n t e r i o r o f S y r i a . F r o m t h i s u n i o n , i t d e v e l o p e d t h eMaronite nation which remained the majority in Lebanon and was composed of a single united Christian group”Antioch from the North West engraving by William Miller in 1866P u g e t d e S a i n t - P i e r r e s p e a k s o f t h eMaronites and Marada as a single people, asingle nation: “They got their name from thef a m o u s m o n k S t . M a r o u n … . D u r i n g t h e e i g h t hand ninth year of the reign of the emperorConstantine IV (668-685), they tookpossession of the whole country which laysb e t w e e n M o u n t A m a n u s a n d J e r u s a l e m … t h e yb e c a m e t h e t e r r o r o f t h e M u s l i m s , a g a i n s tw h o m t h e y f o u g h t w i t h g r e a t s u c c e s s … t h e yprofessed the Christian faith in all its purity”.However, due to the ignominious attitude of theByzantine emperors, the Maronitesd e v e l o p e d a f e e l i n g o f a d v e r s i t y t o w a r d st h e m a n d a n e v e r g r o w i n g t e n d e n c y t od e s i r e t h e i r f r e e d o m f r o m t h ei n f l u e n c e w h i c h t h e B y z a n t i n e s e x e r c i s e dover Lebanon and the Church of Antioch.