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Mar 25th, 2025
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So, it's official. Prayers for the Maronite Church of Antioch, for His Beatitude and for the election of the next Maronite Patriarch of Antioch.
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Rocco Palmo is blogging about the patriarch's resignation here [ whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com]. Frankly, he doesn't seem to have much new to add. He repeats, though, the question about the other Maronite bishops who are due to ble replaced: The patriarch's petition to leave office rumored for months, the acceptance of Sfeir's resignation indicates an agreement on a point of contention said to be of great concern to the Holy See: that replacements for six Maronite bishops who've retired over the last year would be in place before a Synod to elect the church's next head. Clearly, these bishops will not be replaced until the new patriarch has been elected. The synod of bishops now only has one item on its agenda: the patriarchal election. In my opinion, this is as it should be. After all, four of the six bishops due to retire are patriarchal auxiliaries or curial bishops. It would be very strange if the outgoing patriarch were to replace them (with synodal approval of course) and the new patriarch were to be saddled with a group of newly elected young auxiliaries and curial bishops left him by his predecessor. The new patriarch might want to restructure the curia and the patriarchal eparchy. He might not even want to have so many auxiliaries. So, elect new patriarch first, replace old bishops afterwards.
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According to the well-informed news website AsiaNews.it, the election of a new Maronite patriarch "should take place within ten days." On his return trip to Beirut, after presiding over the ceremony of installation of the statue of Saint Maron in the last unoccupied niche in the northern façade of Saint Peter’s Basilica, the patriarch let it be known, indirectly, that the Maronite patriarchate would not be left vacant for long. The date for the conclave of the Maronite Church to choose a new patriarch should be announced shortly in order to take advantage of the presence in Rome of the 40 or so Maronite bishops from around the world and thus spare many of them the tiring and expensive trip to Lebanon.
Under the Canon Law of the Eastern Churches, the election of a new patriarch must be completed within two months of a vacancy. On this occasion, the Maronite Church has opted for speed. The conclave to elect the new patriarch should be convened within ten days at the latest. It will be presided by the longest serving bishop in a non-stop session. The process should include three ballots. In case of a draw, the law allows for the intervention of the Holy See. You can read the whole story here: Fady Noun, "Post-Sfeir Lebanon waiting for a patriarch of peace and unity," [ asianews.it] AsiaNews.it, March 1, 2010.
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Ten days is what is provided for by canon 7 of chapter VI of the canons of the 1736 Maronite Council of Lebanon: (only in French sorry)
7. L'élection du Patriarche est faite par les seuls évêques du rite.
Elle commence le dixième jour après le décès du patriarche Précèdent;
Le vote définitif ne peut être acquis que si les évêques sont au moins au nombre de six.
On ne peut voter par procureur.
L'élection se fait par bulletins écrits et secrets et l'élu doit réunir 2/3 des voix.
L'élection ne peut avoir lieu par acclamation qu'a l'unanimité.
L'élu doit avoir au moins quarante ans et être prêtre.
Mais on observera l'ancienne coutume de choisir un évêque.
Après son élection, le patriarche enverra un procureur à Rome, muni de sa profession de foi et d'une lettre d'obéissance au pape, lui demandant confirmation de l'élection et le pallium.
Celui-ci est distinct de l'omophorion, que le patriarche porte aussi et peut lui-même accorder aux évêques.
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Hopefully the next Patriarch will be just as staunch, if not more passionate, about opposition to the Syrian Regime and its Islamist allies in Lebanon and Iran. This Great Patriarch helped to start the Cedar Revolution and Christian revival, hopefully the next will see to it that Lebanon will be free from those who try to destabilize it. 
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Thank you, antv, for the text of this canon. Is it still in force? Where can one find the current particular law of the Maronite Church?
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Thank you, antv, for the text of this canon. Is it still in force? Where can one find the current particular law of the Maronite Church? LC, I'm unaware that the Particular Law of the Maronite Church is available anywhere on-line. Many years, Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
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As noted today in L'Orient-Le Jour [ lorientlejour.com], the Synod will sit in conclave to elect a new Patriarch beginning Wednesday, 9 March. Ils ont confirmé que c'est le 9 mars à 18h que débutera le conclave pour l'élection du 77e patriarche et ont appelé les maronites au Liban et dans le monde à « prier pour que les évêques trouvent l'inspiration et choisissent le meilleur successeur » à Mgr Sfeir. Please pray that the bishops find the inspiration to choose a worthy candidate as the next Maronite Patriarch.
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I already posted this is another thread (Renounce of the Maronite Patriarch), and I hope it's not against the rules to post it here as well. As noted today in L'Orient-Le Jour [ lorientlejour.com], the Synod will sit in conclave to elect a new Patriarch beginning Wednesday, 9 March. Ils ont confirmé que c'est le 9 mars à 18h que débutera le conclave pour l'élection du 77e patriarche et ont appelé les maronites au Liban et dans le monde à « prier pour que les évêques trouvent l'inspiration et choisissent le meilleur successeur » à Mgr Sfeir. Please pray that the bishops find the inspiration to choose a worthy candidate as the next Maronite Patriarch.
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Thanks for the link and for posting this news.
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I already posted this is another thread (Renounce of the Maronite Patriarch), and I hope it's not against the rules to post it here as well. Malphono, Thanks for noting that - I had intended to merge the 2 threads and forgot. Meanwhile, welcome to the forum - or to posting, rather, as I had already noticed you signing up previously. It's good to have you here. Many years, Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
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Today the synod to elect Patriarch Sfeir's successor started his works. According to some newspaper link [ dailystar.com.lb] the favorites are Beirut Bishop Paul Youssef Matar (70) and curial Bishop Antoine Nabil Andari (61). Pollings will start next Friday, four per day.
Last edited by antv; 03/09/11 04:18 PM.
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Thanks for the link. Prayers for the election of the next Maronite patriarch!
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Just a note for those who may have missed it: the information on the US Bishops is a little off. Out of 41 Maronite bishops residing across the world, 39 are expected to attend, while heads of U.S. dioceses, bishops John Chedid and Stephen Hector Douaihy, are expected to miss the conclave because of illness. The two US Bishops are, +Gregory John Mansour and +Robert Shaheen.
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