Doctrines, Articles of Faith and Citations in the Maronite Bulls (1213-1961)

Abstract

A few years after their historical affiliation with the Catholic Church in 1182, the Maronites found themselves engaged in a correspondence with the Holy See, the intensity of which depended on historical and political tribulations. Proud of this triumph, the Roman Catholic Church undertook, starting from the 13th century, a patient integration of its new sheep flock, a process that extended over centuries and got strengthened by the multiple visits of missionaries to the East and the exchange of letters – those of the Sovereign Pontiff being at the time known as “papal bulls”. The new relations, revived after a long interruption since the end of the 16th century, aimed primarily at theological reform – particularly the observance of the dual nature and will of Jesus Christ – as well as liturgical, preaching the simplification of the Trisagion hymn, the Baptism, and the Holy Chrism; the institution of the sacrament of Penance; the use of pontifical regalia, including the pallium, according to the Latin custom of Rome; and the adherence to the recommendations of the ecumenical councils as well as the sacred canons. The ultimate goal was to establish an ecclesial communion in favor of consolidating the primacy of the Holy See.