Maronite VS Roman Catholic

[arabic_catholic]

Hello, This is my first thread on the eastern catholicism

I am not sure why I am posting this but I wanted to share with you what I am thinking and want to hear from you some advice.

I am sorry for my bad English way of writing because I am not a Native Speaker!

so in short , I want to be baptize in the catholic church . I studied alot about the churchs and I am sure that this is the church of jesus christ .unfortunately , i did not join the RCIA classes last september and thats why i did not get baptized this easter . so I am hopping to join the church soon . I love the roman catholic church because there is where most of my catholic friends are , I love the mass,music , it was the place where I Grow in faith and got most of my Questions about the faith answered .

However, since last week i started attending a maronite church with a friend in the city where I live . The church has a great community , the people are very friendly and I was invited from the first day to celebrate Easter with Irish / Lebanese Family with their kids and friends , which was very kind thing from them(because I did not know them+ plus it was my first easter as a christian) .I am feeling that i am in love with the Eastern spirit of the people inside the maronite church. but at the same time I had hard time with their liturgy because its new to me. Today I met a person in the church who told me that he will get baptize in june and I can be baptize too if I wanted because they dont do RCIA in the Maronite Church. Instead they will do some privet catechist classes from The day I want to start!!

I was thinking about it because I want to receive Christ in the eucharist since months and The maronite church Can bring me inside the church much faster and in more easier way!

my concerns are that i am more loyal to the roman catholic then to the maronite at the moment because i dont know a lot about the maronite tradition where in the roman catholic I know a lot( i am not talking about the Theolgical stuff but the liturgy). at the same time I feel that the maronite gave me a warm hug but i am still worried, because the rite does not look like a worldwide one as the roman /latin rite.

I want to know what is your advice for me ? I need your help , prayes, and guidance

God bless you and Bless the Holy catholic church.

 

[ChadS]

I think it’s great you want to join the Catholic Church. I’m a convert and I love being Catholic.

You are correct to give some thought to which rite you want to join. It’s possible to canonically switch rites once you join, but from what I understand it’s a rather long and drawn out process.

I’m sure you know this but the Maronites are fully in communion with the Holy See, so even if you joined the Maronite communit you would be fully Catholic and completely within your rights to go to any church in full communion with the Holy See to fulfill Sunday obligations.

I know you’re anxious to join the Church, but if you feel spiritually more at home in the Latin rite then wait the few months until RCIA begins again. Until then go to mass regularly and participate as much as possible. Even if you can’t receive communion you can still live and pray like a Catholic.

ChadS

 

[Biedrik]

I’d say that if you feel more comfortable with the Latin Church, then go there. Certainly check out the Eastern Churches (that are in communion with Rome of course ) and see if any fit your spirituality more. However, if it is in the Latin Church that you find is best for you, then go there. The Eastern Churches are more than just a faster way of becoming Catholic. They all have their own complex histories, traditions, and theology. So take some time with the various traditions, pray on it, and then make your choice.

 

[Vico]

Hello, This is my first thread on the eastern catholicism

I am not sure why I am posting this but I wanted to share with you what I am thinking and want to hear from you some advice.

I am sorry for my bad English way of writing because I am not a Native Speaker!

so in short , I want to be baptize in the catholic church . I studied alot about the churchs and I am sure that this is the church of jesus christ .unfortunately , i did not join the RCIA classes last september and thats why i did not get baptized this easter . so I am hopping to join the church soon . I love the roman catholic church because there is where most of my catholic friends are , I love the mass,music , it was the place where I Grow in faith and got most of my Questions about the faith answered .

However, since last week i started attending a maronite church with a friend in the city where I live . The church has a great community , the people are very friendly and I was invited from the first day to celebrate Easter with Irish / Lebanese Family with their kids and friends , which was very kind thing from them(because I did not know them+ plus it was my first easter as a christian) .I am feeling that i am in love with the Eastern spirit of the people inside the maronite church. but at the same time I had hard time with their liturgy because its new to me. Today I met a person in the church who told me that he will get baptize in june and I can be baptize too if I wanted because they dont do RCIA in the Maronite Church. Instead they will do some privet catechist classes from The day I want to start!!

I was thinking about it because I want to receive Christ in the eucharist since months and The maronite church Can bring me inside the church much faster and in more easier way!

my concerns are that i am more loyal to the roman catholic then to the maronite at the moment because i dont know a lot about the maronite tradition where in the roman catholic I know a lot( i am not talking about the Theolgical stuff but the liturgy). at the same time I feel that the maronite gave me a warm hug but i am still worried, because the rite does not look like a worldwide one as the roman /latin rite.

I want to know what is your advice for me ? I need your help , prayes, and guidance

God bless you and Bless the Holy catholic church.

Also the Melkite Catholic and Syriac Catholic Churches use some Arabic.

 

[MontChevalier]

Hello, This is my first thread on the eastern catholicism

I am not sure why I am posting this but I wanted to share with you what I am thinking and want to hear from you some advice.

I am sorry for my bad English way of writing because I am not a Native Speaker!

so in short , I want to be baptize in the catholic church . I studied alot about the churchs and I am sure that this is the church of jesus christ .unfortunately , i did not join the RCIA classes last september and thats why i did not get baptized this easter . so I am hopping to join the church soon . I love the roman catholic church because there is where most of my catholic friends are , I love the mass,music , it was the place where I Grow in faith and got most of my Questions about the faith answered .

However, since last week i started attending a maronite church with a friend in the city where I live . The church has a great community , the people are very friendly and I was invited from the first day to celebrate Easter with Irish / Lebanese Family with their kids and friends , which was very kind thing from them(because I did not know them+ plus it was my first easter as a christian) .I am feeling that i am in love with the Eastern spirit of the people inside the maronite church. but at the same time I had hard time with their liturgy because its new to me. Today I met a person in the church who told me that he will get baptize in june and I can be baptize too if I wanted because they dont do RCIA in the Maronite Church. Instead they will do some privet catechist classes from The day I want to start!!

I was thinking about it because I want to receive Christ in the eucharist since months and The maronite church Can bring me inside the church much faster and in more easier way!

my concerns are that i am more loyal to the roman catholic then to the maronite at the moment because i dont know a lot about the maronite tradition where in the roman catholic I know a lot( i am not talking about the Theolgical stuff but the liturgy). at the same time I feel that the maronite gave me a warm hug but i am still worried, because the rite does not look like a worldwide one as the roman /latin rite.

I want to know what is your advice for me ? I need your help , prayes, and guidance

God bless you and Bless the Holy catholic church.

Hail,

I’m sure you’re fully aware by now that in joining Catholicism you are stepping into a very different world. You will hear much about peace and love, that’s true and good, but Christianity isn’t just peace and love: It’s sacrifice.

You mentioned that you studied the history of Roman Catholicism, and it’s doctrines, then you also know that it’s all full of sacrifice. Since the beginning of this faith, and believe me when I tell you that all Christians will say the same, we know only sacrifice and love. Not just for your brothers and sisters, which are many, but for people you thought you would hate forever.

It is through love that Christians live, but it’s our sacrifice that is our blade(metaphorically-speaking). And if you see that there are Christians, of any denomination, doing things contrary to the faith, then don’t be disheartened, cause that’s human. It happens. Even when we don’t want it to.

But if you want my opinion, I think you should check out the Maronite Church.
They seem like an awesome group and they are a part of Catholicism. I’m not saying don’t check out the Catholic Church, either. By all means, DO, but it’s your choice, don’t let anyone goad you into choosing.

-MontChevalier

 

[Cecilianus]

Also the Melkite Catholic and Syriac Catholic Churches use some Arabic.

The Melkite church in town uses almost all Arabic in the Liturgy.

 

[Cecilianus]

Hello, This is my first thread on the eastern catholicism

I am not sure why I am posting this but I wanted to share with you what I am thinking and want to hear from you some advice.

I am sorry for my bad English way of writing because I am not a Native Speaker!

so in short , I want to be baptize in the catholic church . I studied alot about the churchs and I am sure that this is the church of jesus christ .unfortunately , i did not join the RCIA classes last september and thats why i did not get baptized this easter . so I am hopping to join the church soon . I love the roman catholic church because there is where most of my catholic friends are , I love the mass,music , it was the place where I Grow in faith and got most of my Questions about the faith answered .

However, since last week i started attending a maronite church with a friend in the city where I live . The church has a great community , the people are very friendly and I was invited from the first day to celebrate Easter with Irish / Lebanese Family with their kids and friends , which was very kind thing from them(because I did not know them+ plus it was my first easter as a christian) .I am feeling that i am in love with the Eastern spirit of the people inside the maronite church. but at the same time I had hard time with their liturgy because its new to me. Today I met a person in the church who told me that he will get baptize in june and I can be baptize too if I wanted because they dont do RCIA in the Maronite Church. Instead they will do some privet catechist classes from The day I want to start!!

I was thinking about it because I want to receive Christ in the eucharist since months and The maronite church Can bring me inside the church much faster and in more easier way!

my concerns are that i am more loyal to the roman catholic then to the maronite at the moment because i dont know a lot about the maronite tradition where in the roman catholic I know a lot( i am not talking about the Theolgical stuff but the liturgy). at the same time I feel that the maronite gave me a warm hug but i am still worried, because the rite does not look like a worldwide one as the roman /latin rite.

I want to know what is your advice for me ? I need your help , prayes, and guidance

God bless you and Bless the Holy catholic church.

Hello!

I am also a convert. I wanted to be received into the Church immediately after seeing a photograph of a Eucharistic miracle (in Lanciano, Italy), and begged Father to receive me into the Church before Christmas (this was in October, nine years ago). Father originally said I could be received into the Church by December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), but then changed his mind and made me go through RCIA and wait until Pascha/Easter (March 31 that year).

It was the longest three months of my life, but I am glad Father made me wait. Being baptized or becoming Catholic is like getting married, and a long “engagement” period might be good in the long run. In the early Church the period of catechumenate (instruction before baptism) was three years. I think I would have died of longing for the Eucharist if Father had made me wait that long.

Most Eastern-rite churches will make you wait until Pascha (Easter) as well. I would strongly encourage you to be received into the Church wherever you feel spiritually at home. For me, it was the Byzantine Rite where I felt at home rather than the Roman, and if you can find a Melkite parish nearby, I would encourage you to go there to learn about our Liturgy and spirituality. (Melkites are Arabic-speaking Byzantine-rite Catholics.) All Catholics ideally ought to be exposed to as many of the rites of the Church as possible, because they all together form the richness of the Catholic Faith, and all of them are our heritage.

There are many more churches of the Roman rite than of any of the Eastern or Oriental rites; I think about 98% of the Church is of the Roman rite. It is always much easier to find a Catholic church of the Roman rite than any other, and while any Catholic may practice in any rite he wants to, it is best to practice in the rite to which you belong. Most large cities in the US have Byzantine Catholic churches, though.

I will keep you in my prayers, and wherever and whenever you get baptized, welcome home!

 

[arabic_catholic]

Thank you all for the comments!!

there is no Melkite Catholic in my city or even in my state

There are roman catholics churchs and one maronite church only .

I am not looking for an arabic church to be honest i can understand the (american) roman catholic mass more than the maronite one.

for months i wanted to join the catholic church and its hard for me to wait another year because every sunday i go to mass

but now with maronite church i might be baptize whiten a month or two!!

the thing is am i losing something if i did not join tha latin rite?

what i know that i still could attend the latin/roman mass even of i become maronite

can you tell me about some major deffrences between the roman catholic and the maronite catholic beside the mass?

 

[arabic_catholic]

Hello!

I am also a convert. I wanted to be received into the Church immediately after seeing a photograph of a Eucharistic miracle (in Lanciano, Italy), and begged Father to receive me into the Church before Christmas (this was in October, nine years ago). Father originally said I could be received into the Church by December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), but then changed his mind and made me go through RCIA and wait until Pascha/Easter (March 31 that year).

It was the longest three months of my life, but I am glad Father made me wait. Being baptized or becoming Catholic is like getting married, and a long “engagement” period might be good in the long run. In the early Church the period of catechumenate (instruction before baptism) was three years. I think I would have died of longing for the Eucharist if Father had made me wait that long.

Most Eastern-rite churches will make you wait until Pascha (Easter) as well. I would strongly encourage you to be received into the Church wherever you feel spiritually at home. For me, it was the Byzantine Rite where I felt at home rather than the Roman, and if you can find a Melkite parish nearby, I would encourage you to go there to learn about our Liturgy and spirituality. (Melkites are Arabic-speaking Byzantine-rite Catholics.) All Catholics ideally ought to be exposed to as many of the rites of the Church as possible, because they all together form the richness of the Catholic Faith, and all of them are our heritage.

There are many more churches of the Roman rite than of any of the Eastern or Oriental rites; I think about 98% of the Church is of the Roman rite. It is always much easier to find a Catholic church of the Roman rite than any other, and while any Catholic may practice in any rite he wants to, it is best to practice in the rite to which you belong. Most large cities in the US have Byzantine Catholic churches, though.

I will keep you in my prayers, and wherever and whenever you get baptized, welcome home!

your story is simller to mine

i remember when i convert to christianity i start praying about which church is the true church

and the lord told me go to the catholic church

i went there and talked to the priest he told me i need to wait and i cant be baptize

and i was happy that he told me that because two weeks later i protestant pastor (ex catholic) told me if i go to the catholic church i will go to hell which made want to study more and more about the church until i understand the church teachings and become sure that this is the church.

but that was in novmber 2010 now its may 2011

and i believe i am ready to be catholic now . but i need to wait until September to start the RCIA!!

However the maronite church as i understand can Baptize me in 2011!!

and thats why i am starting to think about the maronite church strongly !

God bless you

 

[ChadS]

Thank you all for the comments!!

there is no Melkite Catholic in my city or even in my state

There are roman catholics churchs and one maronite church only .

I am not looking for an arabic church to be honest i can understand the (american) roman catholic mass more than the maronite one.

for months i wanted to join the catholic church and its hard for me to wait another year because every sunday i go to mass

but now with maronite church i might be baptize whiten a month or two!!

the thing is am i losing something if i did not join tha latin rite?

what i know that i still could attend the latin/roman mass even of i become maronite

can you tell me about some major deffrences between the roman catholic and the maronite catholic beside the mass?

One thing you might want to try if your desire to join is that strong is to get in touch with the diocese or the local cathedral. I know here they run RCIA all year long, not just from September through March/April. They may be able to get you started in lessons and depending on how prepared or your level the bishop can confirm you when he feels ready. This isn’t to say that they might not make you wait until Easter, but at least you’ll be in these classes and it should help you feel like you’re doing something and not just sitting around.

Now, because of priest shortages and little free time most priests just push prospective candidates for RCIA into the RCIA program without a second thought. They treat the whole process as something that only happens between September and Easter. Granted everybody can’t receive their own individualized instruction but they have to realize that you can’t pigeon hole people into this one program and make it work all the time. I remember a friend introduced me to the priest at the local parish about a month or so before Easter and told him I wanted to become Catholic. The response was, well it’s too close to Easter now, he’ll have to wait until September. Since this happened in March sometime, it was the longest 6-7 months of my life, but at the same time it was discouraging because there was no other lifeline there – just a simple come back in September, no "how about you give us your number so we can talk or remind you of RCIA. Does this happen elsewhere and how many people never come back?

ChadS

 

[LennyUSA]

Hello, This is my first thread on the eastern catholicism

I am not sure why I am posting this but I wanted to share with you what I am thinking and want to hear from you some advice.

I am sorry for my bad English way of writing because I am not a Native Speaker!

so in short , I want to be baptize in the catholic church . I studied alot about the churchs and I am sure that this is the church of jesus christ .unfortunately , i did not join the RCIA classes last september and thats why i did not get baptized this easter . so I am hopping to join the church soon . I love the roman catholic church because there is where most of my catholic friends are , I love the mass,music , it was the place where I Grow in faith and got most of my Questions about the faith answered .

However, since last week i started attending a maronite church with a friend in the city where I live . The church has a great community , the people are very friendly and I was invited from the first day to celebrate Easter with Irish / Lebanese Family with their kids and friends , which was very kind thing from them(because I did not know them+ plus it was my first easter as a christian) .I am feeling that i am in love with the Eastern spirit of the people inside the maronite church. but at the same time I had hard time with their liturgy because its new to me. Today I met a person in the church who told me that he will get baptize in june and I can be baptize too if I wanted because they dont do RCIA in the Maronite Church. Instead they will do some privet catechist classes from The day I want to start!!

I was thinking about it because I want to receive Christ in the eucharist since months and The maronite church Can bring me inside the church much faster and in more easier way!

my concerns are that i am more loyal to the roman catholic then to the maronite at the moment because i dont know a lot about the maronite tradition where in the roman catholic I know a lot( i am not talking about the Theolgical stuff but the liturgy). at the same time I feel that the maronite gave me a warm hug but i am still worried, because the rite does not look like a worldwide one as the roman /latin rite.

I want to know what is your advice for me ? I need your help , prayes, and guidance

God bless you and Bless the Holy catholic church.

I do not know what else was posted on here i would read it if I had time but i don’t.
I am going to share my opinion.

What I see is that you have done alot of reserch and found out that the catholic church is true. Then you see how nice the people are and you like that. I do alot of studing with Jehovah’s Witnesses and let me tell you they are the nicest people you will ever meet. But Jesus Christ built his church apon Peter. So any Church that does not have Peter to back them up can’t be a true Church. THere are nice people everywere but I want you to look at this Bible vrs. 2 Corinthians 11:15

[14] And no wonder: for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light.

As you can see kindness has nothing to do with the truth. The Truth is Truth no matter what form it takes.

 

[LennyUSA]

I do not know what else was posted on here i would read it if I had time but i don’t.
I am going to share my opinion.

What I see is that you have done alot of reserch and found out that the catholic church is true. Then you see how nice the people are and you like that. I do alot of studing with Jehovah’s Witnesses and let me tell you they are the nicest people you will ever meet. But Jesus Christ built his church apon Peter. So any Church that does not have Peter to back them up can’t be a true Church. THere are nice people everywere but I want you to look at this Bible vrs. 2 Corinthians 11:15 As you can see kindness has nothing to do with the truth. The Truth is Truth no matter what form it takes.

Haha i did not know that they were part of the Catholic Church lol. Then do what ever that feels best .

 

[puzzleannie]

He
my concerns are that i am more loyal to the roman catholic then to the maronite at the moment because i dont know a lot about the maronite tradition where in the roman catholic I know a lot( i am not talking about the Theolgical stuff but the liturgy). at the same time I feel that the maronite gave me a warm hug but i am still worried, because the rite does not look like a worldwide one as the roman /latin rite.

I want to know what is your advice for me ? I need your help , prayes, and guidance

God bless you and Bless the Holy catholic church.

welcome HOME and welcome to the forums
the Maronite Rite within the Catholic Church is fully in communion with the Pope and the whole Church so there is no vs. There are Maronite Catholics anywhere in the world where there are immigrants from the countries where that rite is dominant, including my hometown of Cleveland Ohio.

Talk to the priest at the parish where you wish to prepare for reception into the Church. Explain your dilemma. He will ask among other things about your family background. In general a new Catholic such as yourself would be received into the rite to which his father belonged, or to which rite those Catholics in his country or ethnic group belong. that doesn’t address everyone’s situation but it might where you live.

Either way you will still be CAtholic. Bear in mind each rite has not only different language for worship and the Mass, while essentially the same, differs in details of how it is prayed. As well each rite has a different calendar of saints and feasts, disciplines for fasting in penitential seasons and other different customs. That is why generally someone is received into the rite that most closely fits the culture he is in. I realize Catholics may not practice openly where you come from, but other CAFers can tell us what rite uses some Arabic for instance and to which people in your area would belong.

Are you living in the USA now? My best advice is to enter through the parish in which you wish to become a member. Talk to the priest, right now just after Easter is the ideal time to begin preparation.

 

[malphono]

I’m a bit dismayed at this thread.

It’s great that the OP (whom one has to assume is not Christian) desires to embrace the Faith. That said, however, it appears that he is anxious to do so and, not wanting to wait for the standard process in the Latin Church, is considering the Maronite Church as an alternate gateway simply because the process is faster. Well, the fact is that “speed” or “fast-tracking” or whatever one wants to call it, is NOT a valid reason for joining the Maronite (or any other) Church.

 

[dzheremi]

I agree with Malphono. It reminds me a bit of Latin Catholics who inquire about “going East” because they feel a calling to the priesthood but want to be able to marry, rather than feeling a genuine connection with Eastern spirituality. By all means, Arabic Catholic, do explore the Maronite spirituality on its own merits, not because it seems easier to join that church from where you’re at. Each church should be considered on the merits of its fidelity to and expression of the faith.

Concluding prayer of the Celebrant before the Altar in the Maronite Qurbono (in Syriac, the original language of the Syriac Maronite Church)

May our Lord and Savior the Son of God Jesus Christ guide you.

 

[Ignatius]

Hello, This is my first thread on the eastern catholicism

I am not sure why I am posting this but I wanted to share with you what I am thinking and want to hear from you some advice.

I am sorry for my bad English way of writing because I am not a Native Speaker!

so in short , I want to be baptize in the catholic church . I studied alot about the churchs and I am sure that this is the church of jesus christ .unfortunately , i did not join the RCIA classes last september and thats why i did not get baptized this easter . so I am hopping to join the church soon . I love the roman catholic church because there is where most of my catholic friends are , I love the mass,music , it was the place where I Grow in faith and got most of my Questions about the faith answered .

However, since last week i started attending a maronite church with a friend in the city where I live . The church has a great community , the people are very friendly and I was invited from the first day to celebrate Easter with Irish / Lebanese Family with their kids and friends , which was very kind thing from them(because I did not know them+ plus it was my first easter as a christian) .I am feeling that i am in love with the Eastern spirit of the people inside the maronite church. but at the same time I had hard time with their liturgy because its new to me. Today I met a person in the church who told me that he will get baptize in june and I can be baptize too if I wanted because they dont do RCIA in the Maronite Church. Instead they will do some privet catechist classes from The day I want to start!!

I was thinking about it because I want to receive Christ in the eucharist since months and The maronite church Can bring me inside the church much faster and in more easier way!

my concerns are that i am more loyal to the roman catholic then to the maronite at the moment because i dont know a lot about the maronite tradition where in the roman catholic I know a lot( i am not talking about the Theolgical stuff but the liturgy). at the same time I feel that the maronite gave me a warm hug but i am still worried, because the rite does not look like a worldwide one as the roman /latin rite.

I want to know what is your advice for me ? I need your help , prayes, and guidance

God bless you and Bless the Holy catholic church.

The Maronite Catholic Church is every bit as Catholic as the Latin church. I would go ahead and enter the Church through the Maronite Catholic Church. Welcome home brother.

 

[arabic_catholic]

I’m a bit dismayed at this thread.

It’s great that the OP (whom one has to assume is not Christian) desires to embrace the Faith. That said, however, it appears that he is anxious to do so and, not wanting to wait for the standard process in the Latin Church, is considering the Maronite Church as an alternate gateway simply because the process is faster. Well, the fact is that “speed” or “fast-tracking” or whatever one wants to call it, is NOT a valid reason for joining the Maronite (or any other) Church.

I am very sorry that you feel that way

I did not mean to make you feel bad about it .but i did not say Its the only reason , I said that the maronite church gave me a warm hug and the community over there is very welcoming and great ,and i feel the eastern spirit in the church which i did not feel in the latin church! however going there for only two weeks did not make me understand the liturgy and thets why i am worried , I can understand your point but you need to believe me, to me the maronite church is not only a gate for the catholic church and thats why i asked in the thread that i want to know more about the maronite and latin diffrences .but i must say this, you need to know my brother that i am here in the United state for a limted time and i am going home after i finish my studies , so i have many reasons for why i must be in rush to join the church , so its not a relax or take you time decision for me . maybe for an american it is okay but for me no. its very importent for me to join the catholic church. so please try to understand why i need to be part of the church without thinking that i am using the maronite church as a gate only. and again thats why i am posting this thread, to know more about the maronite church

God bless you

 

[dzheremi]

With that in mind then, I present you the following links for your edification and education:

Official website of the Patriarchate in Bkerke

Beith Souryoye Morounoye (Site emphasizing the Syriac history and culture of the Church)

Maronite Center for Documentation and Research

Maronite Patriarchical Exarchate - Jerusalem (information on Maronites in the holy city)

There are also websites for the various Maronite religious orders and saints and the monasteries they are connected to. These can be helpful.

Antonin Maronite Order (French & English only)

Mar Maroun monastery in Annaya, connected to the famous Maronite saint Mar Charbel Makhlouf.

St. Rafqa nun and saint of the Maronite church. This site is connected to St. Joseph’s monastery, where her tomb is located (in Jrabta).

Etc.

There are other websites, but many are mixed up in modern politics that are merely a small blip in the 1600 years of history that belong to this particular spiritual tradition. I would recommend you avoid those while you are still trying to learn about the faith and spirituality of the church.

 

[MontChevalier]

I’m a bit dismayed at this thread.

It’s great that the OP (whom one has to assume is not Christian) desires to embrace the Faith. That said, however, it appears that he is anxious to do so and, not wanting to wait for the standard process in the Latin Church, is considering the Maronite Church as an alternate gateway simply because the process is faster. Well, the fact is that “speed” or “fast-tracking” or whatever one wants to call it, is NOT a valid reason for joining the Maronite (or any other) Church.

That is very true. And I approve this message.

Normally, I’d say a joke, like: SPONSORED BY COCA COLA!

But this is a serious matter. Maybe if the ArabicCatholic wanted more information on the Maronite Church, he could be recommended these books:

A World History of Christianity by Adrian Hastings

This one has the history of practically all the Christians in the world. Might be quite helpful to your decision, ArabicCatholic.

The Maronites in History by Matti Moosa

Now this book has some excellent knowledge on the Maronites and it comes highly recommended, but, other than the fact that it costs like $80 to $100, the author does tend to add his own personal opinions in the book; which are rather against the Maronites. You’ll notice as soon as you go into the book that the author is a bit cruel to the Maronites, but that’s cause the Author is from another Middle-Eastern Church.

Who are the Christians in the Middle-East? by Betty Jane Bailey

This book offers the situations of Christians in the Middle-East and more. It opens eyes, that the Roman Catholics and Orthodox Churches weren’t the only ones around. It is a fact, however, that people in those areas, were more, if not, the same, as deeply religious as the Christians in the Catholic church in Europe.

The Maronites: The Origins of an Antiochene Church: A Historical and Geographical Study of the Fifth to Seventh Centuries

I think the title of this book pretty much explains itself.

Also, if you’re looking for Maronite chants, here’s a CD where you may listen to samples of their songs. Chants of the Maronitic Liturgy

Simply scroll down and click on “Listen to samples”.

Enjoy.

-MontChevalier

 

[MaroniteLebaniz]

Maronites are not Catholic, Maronites accepted to submit to the Roman Pope because of economical purpose and pressure on our community from Roma. Maronites did not accepted the Pope by faith! And Arab Catholic I do not understand why you want to deny your roots and your history to act like Romans. Every nation every people have their traditions depending on their past influences on their History. Jesus wanted us to be ONE in our acts, in our spirit not in the fact we are taking at 6 pm the Holy bread or something like that, guys really I do not understand many Maronites behaviors currently…