Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 9.djvu/741

 iCABQUUAS

688

MAKQUUAB

ma^ was appointed synodal orator. According to the letter whion lie sent to his superiors (published at the iM^inning of Mansi's thirty-eighth volume), the chief abuses to be corrected by the ablegate were: (1) The Maronite bishops, in virtue of an ancient custom, had in their households a certain number of religious women, whose lodeings were, as a rule, separated irom the bishop's only by a door of oommumcation. (2) The patriarch had reserved to himself exclusively the right to consecrate the holy oils and distribute them among the bishops and clergy in consideration of monev payments. (3) Marriage dispensations were sold for a monev price. (4) The Blessed Sacrament was not reserved in most of the country churches, and was seldom to be found except in the churches of reli* gious conmiunities. (5) Mamed prietjts were permitted to remarry. (6) Churches lacked their becoming oma- mcnt-s, and *'the members of Jesus Christ, necessary succour", while, on the other hand, there were too many bishops — fifteen to one hundred and fifty par- ishes. (7) The Maronites of Aleppo had, for ten or twelve years past, been singing the Liturgy in Arabic only.

With great difficulty, J. S. Assemani overcame the ill will of the patriarch and the intrigues of the bishops: the Council of the Lebanon at last convened in the monastery of St. Mary of Luwelsa, fourteen Maronite bishops, one Syrian, and one Armenian assisting. The abuses enumerated above were reformed, and measures were taken to combat ignorance by estaUisfaing schools. The following decisions were also taken: the Filioque was introduced into the Creed; in the Synaxary, not only the first six councils were to be mentioned, but also the Seventh (Niceea, 787), the Ekhth (Con- stantinople, 869), the Council of Florence (1439), and the Council of Trent; the pope was to be named in the Mass and in other parts of the liturgy; confirmation was reserved to the bishop; the consecration of the holy chrism and the holy oils was set for Holy Thurs- day; the altar bread was to take the circular form in use at Rome, must be composed only of flour and water, and must contain no oil or salt, after the Syrian tradition; the wine must be mixed with a little water; communion under both species was no longer per- mitted except to priests. and deacons; the ecdesiasti- cal hierarchy was definitely organized, and the cere- monial of ordination fixed; the number of bishoprics was reduced to eight.

The publication of the decrees of this council did not, of course, completely transform Maronite manners and customs. In 1743, two candidates for the patri* archate were chosen. Clement XIV was obliged to an- nul the election; he chose Simon Euodius, Arohbdshop of Damascus (d. 1756), who was succeeded by Tobias Peter (1766-66). In the next patriarchal reign, that of Joseph Peter Stefani, a certain Anna Agsmi founded a congregation of religious women of the Ssiored Heart; the Holy See suppressed the congregation and con- demned its foundress, who, by means of her reputation for sanctity, was disseminating grave errors. Joseph Peter, who defended her in 6pite of everything, was placed imder interdict in 1779, but was reconciled some years later. After him came Michael Fadl (d. 1795), Peter Gemall (d. 1797), Peter Thian (1797- 1809), and Joseph Dolcl (1809-23). The last, m 1818, aboli^ed, by the action of a synod, the custom by which, in many places, there were pairs of monasteries, one for men, the other for women. Under Joseph Habalsoh the struggles with the Druses (see I, above) began, continuing under his successor, Joseph Ghazm (1846-55). Peter Paul Massaad (1855-90) during h» long and fruitful term on the patriarchal throne wit- nessed events of extreme gravity — the revolt of the people against the sheiks and the massacres of 1860. ftlie Maronite Chiutih owes much to him : his firmness of character and the loftiness of his aims had the ut- most possible effect in lessening the evil consequences

and breaking the shock of tliese conflicts. The faft> mediate predecessor of the present (1910) patriardi, Mstr. Hoyek, was John Peter Hadj (1890-09).

I. For the councUs of 1696 and 1736 see Maku, Saenrtm wncUionim nova et <xmpli9Bima colUcUo (Florence aiid Veniee, 1759-98). For the history of the Maionites. Michaxx< ths Stbian. Chronicle, ed. Nau in 0pii9culM Maronites in Revue de VOrient Chrftien, IV.

II. ANaENT WORKS. — Maronite I NaIroni, Disaertatio de origine nomine ae rdigione Maronitanan (Rome. 1670); Idem, Evoplia Met (Rome, 1694); J. S. Ambmani, BibHotkeoa orien- talis, I (Rome. 1719), 496 sqq. Western: DANontz, Jdissimu apostolica al Pairiarca e Maroniti (Ceaeoa. 1656). French tr., Simon, Voyaqe du Mont. Liban (Paris. 1685) : Lb Quxem, Oriena CkrialianKSt III: Ecdcaia Maronitarum de Monte lAbtMno, 1-100. See also the works of the travellers and nuasionaziea amonc ^be Maronites; the chief, besides Wiujam of Tyre, axe Jaoqub* DE Vitrt; Ludolp op Suchen. De itinere hierosolymitano; Gryphonb. Sdriano, Froiiagk.

III. Modern woRKfl. — Maronite: Dum^ Laperpitu^leotiko- dtNcie des Maronites (Beirut, s. d.); Chebu. £>« patriarcat Maro- nite d^Antioche in Revue de VOr. ChrH., VIII. 133 sqq.; for the Maronite tbeoiy, Nau. Opuscules maronites in Rev. de FOr. chrH., IV. Western: Lam mens. Fr. Oryphon et le lAban a« XV b sitcle in Revue de VOr. ChrH., IV, 68 sqci.; and wpecially the articles of VAiLHi: in Echoa d^Orient, Orimnes reOgieuses des AfanmifM, IV, 96, 154; V,28l; Melehites etMaronitoB, W.TIV, Fra Suriano ei la perpHuelle orthodoxie des Maronitem, VII, 09; Le monc^hSlisme des Maronites d'apris les auteurs Meiehites, IX, 91; VEglise Maronite du V' au IX* sikde, IX. 257, 344: also Nehbr in Kirchenlex., s. v. Maroniten; Kxseuni in Roalenci/c. fikr proL theol., a. v. Maroniten,

J. Laboxtbt.

Marquesas Islands, Vicariate Apostolic of (In- BULARUM Marchesi). in Polynesia, indudes all the Blarquesas Islands, eleven in number, lying between 7*» 5(y and 10** 30' S. lat. and between 138** aMd 141*» W. long. The area comprises 480 sq. miles. The islands are mountainous and rocky, but have fertile plains. The aborigines are cannibals who live mainly Dv fishing, and dwell in huts of wattles and branches. The chief products are the bread-fruit tree, the coco- nut, the banana, orange, and sugar-cane. Horses. Eigs, sheep, cotton, and tobacco have been introduced y the missionaries. The islands were discovered in 1505 by Mendana and named Marquesas after the Marquess de Mendoza. at that time Viceroy of Peru, from which country the expedition had sailed. Hie first Mass was said there 28 July, 1595. In 1791 the northern islands were visited by Ingraham, an Ameri- can, and by Marchand, a Frenchman, who took pos- session of the group in the name of France. Cm 4 August, 1836, three missionaries of the Congregation of Picpus entered the Bav of Vaithu, Fathers Des- vault and Borgella, and Brother Nil. They found the natives gix^en to tattooing, cruel and defective in morals. In 1774 some whaling vessels left the dread disease, phthisis, among the natives, and it has con- tinued to work havoc there. The population in 1804 was reckoned at 17,700; in 1830 it had shrunk to 8000; at the present time it is about half that number. Between 1838 and 1848 there were 216 iMtptisms of adults; between 1848 and 1856, 986 baptisms. In 1858 the missionaries opened schools at Taioha^, and in 1900 tliese schools were instructing 300 children. In 1894 the use of opium by natives was prohibited; in 1895 the selling or possessing of alcohol was made a criminal offence, and in 1896 attendance at school was made obligatory. In 1900, however, in consequence of the passing of the Associations Law in France the schools were closed by the Government. Efforts of the missionaries to enforce attendance at their private schools met with limited success. The present Vicar Apostolic, Mgr. Martin, of the Picpus Uongregation, titular Bishop of Uranopolis, arrived in 1890 and took up his residence at Antouna on Hiva-Oa. The resi- dence of the civil governor is at Taiohal on Noukou- hiva.

Statistics. — 1 Vicar-Apostolic; 9 priests, 5 brothers of the Picpus congregation; 4 brothers of Ploeimel; 9 sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny; 10 native catechists; 40 stations scatterea over 6 islands; 1 hospital which cares for 160 lepers. Present population, 3300 Catbo