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 SYRIA

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SYRIA

Phoenicia, and the Island of CjT)rus. But on the other hand the Vicariate Apostolic of Syria obtained full jurisdiction over all the Latins of this vicariate, this prerogative being definitely withdrawn from the supervision of the Holy Land. The Vicariate Apos- tolic of Syria embraces at present the following terri- tory: on the north its boundary line starts from the Gulf of Adalia, and touching the southern limits of Taurus, stretches toward the Euphrates, making a bend at Hamah. On the east is the Desert of Pal- myra; on the south, Palestine; on the west the Med- iterranean Sea. Since their institution the vicars of S3Tia have held the title of vicars Apostolic of the Holy See for the non-Latin CathoUcs who Uve within the limits of their province. Their power as delegates however has not undergone the same restrictions as their authority of Vicars ApostoUc; and Catholics of the Oriental Rite in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem are subject to Syria by way of delegation.

The Latin communities, especially the French, have developed very extensively, particularly in this cen- tury, under the Vicariate Apostolic of S>Tia. They afford at the present time the strongest bulwark against the increasing encroachments of both Prot- estant and Orthodox missions which are seducing with money and promises the hard-working, but poor people of Syria. The Capuchins, sta,tioned in Syria since 1627, care for the parishes of Antioch, Baabdath, Beirut, and Mersina: they have besides houses at Aleppo, Abey, Ghazir, Kodcrbek, and Salima. Their religious however are but few in number. The Fran- ciscans have twelve convents in the following places: Aintab, Aleppo, Beirut, Damascus, Harissa, lenige- Kale, Kenaye, Latakie, IMarash, Sayda, Sour, and Tripoh. They also have 10 parishes, and nurnber about 56 rehgious. Their college at Aleppo is in a flourishing condition and numbers 140 pupils. The Trappists have a house at Sheikle by Akbes, near Alexandretta. The Lazarists, estabhshed in Syria since 1784, have five houses with parishes and mis- sions at Antoura, Beu-ut, Damascus, and Tripoh. They number about 37 religious, and possess in the villages of Lebanon a large number of primary schools which they themselves visit and maintain. The Car- meUtes, stationed in Syria since 1650, have five resi- dences: at Alexandretta, which forms a parish, in Beylan, Biscerri, Kobbayat, and Tripoli. Their re- ligious are about 8 in number. The Brothers of the Christian Schools have 4 primary schools in Beirut, Latakie, Tripoh, and Tripoh By-the-Sea.

The Jesuits were estabhshed for the first time in 1595, and later returned to Syria at the invitation of Mgr. Mazloum and in obedience to the order of Gregory XVI. Their mission numbers 174 members, of whom 66 are priests, 47 scholastics, and 61 brother assistants. After being stationed at Zeilah, and later in Mesopotamia, the Jesuits founded at Ghazir in 1846 the Oriental Seminary which was transferred to Beirut in 1S75 and has an enroUment of 50 students. This seminary has aheady sent forth over 130 priests. The younger religious of the Antonines, of the Maronite Rite, of the BasiUan, and of the Greek Rite, follow their courses of philosophy and t heology with the seminarists, all bemg related by similarity of rite. In 1848 the Jesuits estabhshed another college at Ghazir; this too was transferred to BeuTit, and has become the celebrated College of St. Joseph. In 1883 the medical school was added, which to-day is attended by 130 students; the college has 500 stu- dents enrolled. Eighty rehgious jirofessors and six Frent^h doctors take part in the instruction of the students and direct the most complete printing estab- lishment in the Orient, publishing a weekly newspaper in Arabic, the "Heshir", and the bi-niontlily .\rabic review, "Al-Mashrik". In 1896 P. Barnier founded at Sayda in the region of Akkar a normal school which is attended by 40 pupils; also an orphanage at Tanail.

During the last three centuries the Cathohc mis- sionaries of SjTia have had to contend against heavy odds and difhculties occasioned by the Mohammedans, the Druzes, and the various Oriental Schismatic Churches, and, in the last century, also against many obstacles and antagonisms offered by the various Sj-rian Protestant Missions. But notwith- standing opposition they have forged ahead and are regenerating the Clu-istians of SjTia into a new hfe, mainly through the channels of rehgious instruction, conversion, and educational and philanthropic enter- prises. The Jesuits, the Lazarists, and, of late, the Christian Brothers have achieved such progi-ess in the line of rehgious and educational work that they have under their care, at present, nearly 300 schools, with 400 teachers and some 14,000 pupils. The Jesuits alone have under their care 155 ele- mentary schools scattered all over SjTia: 5 in Beirut with 16 teachers and 900 pupils; 5 in Damascus with 6 teachers and 250 pupife; 19 in Bikfaya with

29 teachers and 1300 pupils; 29 in Ghazir with 27 teachers and nearly 2000 pupils; 21 at Homs with

30 teachers and 1000 students; 37 at Sayda with 55 teachers and 1.500 pupils; IS at Tanial with 22 teachers and 900 students; and 21 at Zahle with 30 teachers and nearly 1300 students. The Lazarists, estabhshed in Syria in 1784, have under their care 110 elementary schools with 130 teachers and nearly 6000 pupils. Their high school and college at Antoura and Damascus have 300 and 200 students respectively. The Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul have charge of some 80 female schools and 4000 girls. The Sisters of Naza- reth of Lyons, established since 1871, ha\-e schools and pensionnats at Beirut, St. John of Acre, Shefamar, Haiffa, and Nazareth, with about 2000 pupils. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Marseilles, estabhshed in Syria in 1846, have several schools in Beirut, Sayda, Nazareth, Tyre, and Deir-el-Qamar, with about 1500 pupils. The Sisters of the Holy Family have a large school at Beirut, with over 250 pupils. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd of Angers, have an orphanage at Hanunana with 150 inmates. Finally, the Mariamettes, an order of native nuns, estab- lished in 1860, have under their care not less than 41 schools, 85 teachers, and some 3500 pupils, scattered all over SjTia; 1 at Beirut, 2 at Cehp, 9 at Bikfaya, 1 in Damascus, 6 in Ghazir, 2 at Homs, 6 at Sayda, 6 at Tanail, and 8 at Zahle.

BrRCKHAEDT. Travcls in Syria and the Holy Land (1822), 1-309; WoRTABET, The Syrians (London, 1856); Chesnet, Euvhrates Expedition (London, 1838); Ritter, Erdkunde von Asien, XVII, pts. 1 and 2 (Berlin, 1854-55); Von Kremer, MiUelsyrien und Damascus (Vienna, 1S53); Bcrton and Drake, Unexplored Syria (London, 1872); Reclus, Nom. geog. umrers. d' Asie Anterieure (18S4); Porter, Fice Years in Damascus (Lon- don, 1855); Blont. Bedouins of the Euphrates (London, 1870); de VoGuiS, Syrie Cenlrale (Paris, 1865-77) ; Idem, Syrie, Pales- tine. Mont Athos (Paris, 1879); Sachac, Reise in Syrien u. Mesopotamien (Leipzig. 1883); Miller, Alone through Syna (London, 1S91); Cbarmes, Voyage en S!,rie (Paris, 1891); Lady Bcrton, Inner Life of Syria (London. 1875); Post, Flora of Syria, Palestine and Sinai (Beirut, 1896); Humann and PrcB- 8TEIN, Reisen in Nord-Syrien (1890); Post, Essays on the Sects and Nationalities of Syria, etc. (London. 1890); Goodrich- Freer, In a Syrian Saddle (London, 1905); Bell, The Desert and the Sown (London, 1907); Lortet, La Syrie d'aujourd'hui (Paris, 1884); Curtis, To-day in Syria and Palestine (New \ork, 1903); LiBBEV and Hoskins. The Jordan Valley and Petra (New York, 1905); Inchuold, Under the Syrian Sun (Phdadel- pbia 1907); Kelman and TnnMAZ, From Damascus to Palmyra (London, 1908); M ■ '■ - t" Cairo. Jerusalem arid Damas- cus (London, W" ^ ■>>. Liban tt Palestine iVana, 1896);BAEDEKf,; -,ria d-eipsic 1906) ; DuPONT. Cours Gfograph,.,.. ':lman (Pans ^^\^^: "•™> Historical Geogropiu, ,., „„ ,,■■:„ Land (London, 1900).

For the religious history ol Clinstian Syria see the bibhog- raphies appended to articles on the various Onental schisms. Churches ritr=i r-tr.: niso Burkitt, Early Eastern Christianity (London.' VI"!- H ••vrK, Mission and ETpansion of Chrts- tianitu ,< 1 id., 1908); Adenet, rAcGrcf* aiirf (/!«

Eastmi ' irgh, 1908); Fortescce TAc Orthodox

Eastern ( • " 1907); Stanley, The Eastern (.hurch

(Ixindon. l^.iM, 1 A,i„i. Six Months in a Syrian Monastery (1895)- Bauulr, The Nestorians and their Rituals (London, 1852); Neale, Hist, of the Holy Eastern Church (5 vols., London, 1850-01); Idem, Hist, of the Patriarchate of Ant\och (London,