[Webmaster's note: This doctoral thesis is reproduced by kind permission of Mgr. Raheb. The material is copyright and may not be reproduced without permission from the author and translator.]
Archimandrite AbdallahRaheb, Doctor of Theology,
Licentiate in Philosophy,
Diploma in German Letters,
Professor of Ecumenical Sciences at the University of
Kaslik,
ex-Superior General of the Order of Saint Basil of Aleppo.
This whole thesis is available for downloading as a single file Adobe Acrobat file (PDF). To download please click this link: Orthodox Antioch Union (676 KB).
[302]
Cf. above, Chapter III, footnote 252, Pachomios, who reached Damascus between
mid-February and mid-March 1636, describes how he was received by the new
patriarch: “We entered the home of our master patriarch, we kissed his hands
and showed him the books and letters. Our return gave him great joy. As for the
copies of the (Arabic) Pentateuch, we sent one to Tripoli and the rest we sent
to Egypt, to Aleppo and to (other) countries so that they could be compared and
looked at. And so, by examining them, one would be content with them, we will
send you the exact response. We brought home with us the books (Horologion and
Euchologion) whose publication your great efforts accomplished, and the Lord
(Jesus) Christ will reward you. The patriarch (Euthymios III) would have
written to you but he waits for a response on the Pentateuch from the countries
and then he will respond to you in detail. Kissing (sic in singular) at your
place the hands of the Cardinals Francesco Barberini and Antonio (Barberini)…”
Pachomios adds in the margin of this letter addressed to secretary Ingoli the
following note on the subject of the deceased Patriarch Euthymios II Karmeh:
“we have written to you when we arrived and we would have written on the
subject of the deceased patriarch who died in the mercy of the most high God,
but we knew that you already knew this news” (letter written in Arabic on March
19, 1636 in SOCG, vol. 180, fol. 101r.
An Italian translation is found in the same volume fol. 100r). Compare with the
anachronisms of Nasrallah, Notes et Documents, pp. 131-132, and DHGE, vol. 16 (1967), col.56.
[303]
Cf. above, Chapter III, 3 “Patriarch Karmeh, Martyr of the Union.” Even though
Karmeh had written good letters to Roman popes and cardinals, Euthymios the
Chiot never had the courage to write a word to Rome, as we will see.
[305]Acta, vol. 12, fol. 141v-142r and SOCG, vol. 180, fol. 107v: “Referente eodem Em.mo D.
Card. Brancatio literas Patris Pachomij de morte Euthymij Patriarchae
Antiocheni Nationis Melchitarum, et de Arabicis Pentatheuchis distributes inter
viros doctos pro eorum sententia habenda, et demum de Euchologio Arabico, et
Horologio Romae relictis, eorumque impressione. Sacra Congregatio iussit
praefato Patri Pachimio rescribi, ut cum novo Patriarcha agat de unione
facienda iuxta professionem fidei, quam secum detulit pro Patriarcha Euthimio
(Karmeh) et ut sollicitet responsum doctorum virorum circa Pentatheucum
Arabicum, et denique illi signetur Euchologij Arabici partem iam esse in
latinum translatam, et nunc Graeci Euchologij emendationi diligenter per
Cardinales et Theologos incumbi, ut postea, et Graecum, et Arabicum imprimi
possunt.”
[306]
We have not found any trace on this question in the Archives of the
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith although Euthymios III had
promised the missionaries in Syria to write to the Pope of Rome. The research
of Korolevsky in this sense produced the same result. Cf. DHGE, vol. 3, col. 642. Besides, the account of Fr. J.
Amieu for the year 1650 confirms the fact that this patriarch never wrote to Rome:
“and as I said to him one day: ‘Master, when would you give testimony to Rome
in your own hand that you are Roman Catholic, would there be anything bad in
it?’ ‘Unfortunately,! Father,’ he said to me, ‘we Greeks, zealous with an
indiscreet zeal, have spies here, and I do not want to earn what my predecessor
earned.’” Cf. Rabbath, I, pp.
401-402.
[307]
John Amieu wrote from Aleppo on December 18, 1636 to the cardinals of the
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith: “Docemus duos nepotes nuperi
Patriarchae Graecorum,… aliosque non paucos bonae Indolis et Ingenii, wui si se
sinerent coli… multos Europaeos superarent, in facie plusquam quinquaginta
millium christianorum” (SOCG, vol. 106,
fol. 224rv.
[308]
Cf. the letters of Fr. Queyrot to the Congregation for the Propagation of the
Faith, written at Aleppo on December 26, 1636 and March 13, 1637, in SOCG, vol. 195, fol. 598rv and vol. 106, fol. 224rv.
[310]Acta, vol. 12, fol. 330v: “Em.mus D.
Cardinalis Sancti Honuphrij Alumnatum erigisse hic Romae in Collegio de Prop.
Fide pro Georgianis Nestorianis, Iacobitis, Cophtis, Melchitis, et Persis, ad
quem poterunt praefati Patres (Queyrot and Amieu) duodecim Adolescentes 15 aut
16 annum agentes, duos scilicet ex qualibet praefatarum nationum ad Urbem
mittere, qui sine dubio recipientur in p.to Alumnatu, de cuius erectione iam
expeditae sunt Bullae, quae latinè, et arabicè imprimentur, et transmittentur
ad eos, et alios missionarios, uti Patriarchis, ac Archiepiscopis, et Episcopis
p.tarum nationum communicentur, ut possint iuxta contenta in dictis Bullis
Adolescentes cum qualitatibus in eis expressis suis temporibus Romam mittere,
ut hic instruantur in scientijs et bonis moribus, ac instructi ad eosdem
remittantur.” The enumeration of these “nations” shows us what knowledge the
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith had for their identity and their
orthodox or heterodox faith!
[311]
In fact, Fr. Queyrot wrote from Aleppo on August 8, 1638: “Pensavamo di mandar
un solo Greco ch’havevamo bastevolmente ammaestrato nelle lingue Arabica, Greca
e Latina; ma i di lui parrenti non si sono lassati persuadere, anzi l’hanno
ritirato dalla scuola per applicarlo a un’arte. II R.P. Guardiano di S.
Francesco (Antoine d’Aquila) s’è anch’egli adoperato conforme al suo santo
zelo, accio si mandassero alcuni altri figliuoli christiani alla nostra scuola,
per esser poi quindi costà (at Rome) inviati, ma è stato senza effetto” (SOCG, vol. 118, fol. 115r).
[313]
Cf. SCOG, vol. 107, fol. 189r: it
concerns a letter written in Greek and addressed to Cardinal A. Barberini. A
Latin translation of the letter is found in the same volume, fol. 109r.
Moreover, Patriarch Metrophanes of Alexandria was viewed well by Rome, in fact
“placuit Patribus constantia Metrophanij Alexandrini Patriarchae in recusatione
subsciptionis capitulorum Haereticorum Cyrilli Lucari” (Acta, vol. 13, fol.
123v); also it was pointed out in Rome “Patriarcham Alexandrinum Graecum
literas scripisse pro eius Unione cum S.R.E. saltem privata, easque Patri
Archangelo de Pistorio Missionario in Aegypto deferre ad Urbem” (Ibid., fol. 63r).
[314]
In fact Cyril II of Berrhea, who occupied the see of Constantinople three times
in the space of six years (October 4-11, 1633; March 1/10, 1635 – mid-June
1635, June 20, 1638 – end of June, 1639), had a sad death because of his secret
adhesion to the Roman Church, without counting the dreadful kind of Greek
bishops who were inclined to Rome before the assassination of Cyril Lucaris on
July 7, 1638. Cf. Grumel, p. 438; G.
Hering, Oekumenisches Patriarchat und europäische Politik (1620-1638), Wiesbaden 1968, passim especially p.
313; SOCG, vol. 195, fol. 135r,
448r-449v and vol. 270, fol. 304r-306v; DThC, Book III, col. 1429; Musset, II, pp. 138-142.
[315]
This is according to the repeated letters of the Congregation for the
Propagation of the Faith to the missionaries of the Levant that the
Greek-Melkite Patriarch of Antioch was warned about: letters of July 20, 1637,
December 4, 1638, July 16, 1639, September 17, 1639. Cf. also the responses of
the missionaries in SOCG, vol. 118, fol.
115rv; vol. 119, fol. 105r-107r. Compare with Acta, vol. 12, fol. 330v and vol. 13, fol 358rv.
[316]SOCG, vol. 119, fol. 106rv: “non ho
mancato esseguire quanto V.S. Ill.ma m’accenna nelle sue di 4 dicembre del’anno
passato (1638) et di 16 Iuglio (1639)… Resto assai meraviglianto de’ Patriarchi
de’ Melchiti e Giacobiti. Quello de’ Melchiti che risiede in Damasco ricevette
nel principio con grand’accoglienza l’aviso della S. Congregatione con il breve
dicendo di voler mandare due suoi Nipoti al nuovo Collegio; ma alla fine ha
risposto che teme succedergli qualche tirannia de’ Turchi per mandare giovani
dalla sua Natione in paese di Christiani, con tutto cio trovandosi soggetti qui
in Aleppo che vogliono andare con sodisfatione di parenti, esso darà licenza,
purche il loro Arcivescovo (Meletios Zaim), quale anco si mostra poco inclinato
a questa santa impressa, gli scriva per questo negotio. Quello de’ Giacobiti,
che risiede in Merdino non hà risposto… Hora habbiamo un Melchita, et un
Giacobita, che desiderano venire, e si contentano anco I loro parenti; I Padri
Gesuiti mi consegliano che gli mandi senza aspettare altra licenza di loro
Prelati, che mai s’arriverà.”
[317]
It concerns the Rescript of the Congregation mentioned above of September 12,
1639: “S. Congregation iussit rescribi Guardiano Aleppi, ut omni diligentia, et
studio curet, ut Patriarchis et Archiepiscopis, pro quorum nationibus erectus
fuit ab eodem E.mo Card. Sancti Honuphrij Alumnatus, literae, et Bulla
erectionis praesententur, ac sollictentur ut Alumnos suos Romam mittant” Ibid., fol. 358rv.
[318]SOCG, vol. 119, fol. 105r: “Non sono
restato di fare ogni diligenza possibile a sollecitare li dui Patriarchi, de’
Giacobiti e Melchiti per gl’alunni del Collegio del Signor Card. S. Honofrio
conforme al nuovo aviso dalle 17 di settembre (1639) inviatomi dalle SS. VV.
Em.me; ma si vede in effeto l’ingratitudine e mala corispondenza di detti
Patriarchi, che havendo ricevuto insin dal’anno passato le lettere della Sacra
Cong.ne con li brevi non si curano, di trovar gl’allunni, ni di rispondere, con
scusari per il timore di suoi inimici, cge gl’accusano a Turchi, di haver
corispondenza con Christiani di Europa. Io havevai trovato alcuni figliuoli, ma
i loro parenti non vogliono consegnarli, se non si conducomo in Roma per
qualche Religioso.”
[319]Ibid., fol. 112r: “Ricevo di novo aviso
dal P. Fr. Antonio di Portogallo Minore Osservante, che da quel Patriarcha de’Melchiti,
che risiede in Damasco non si puo havere risposta della lettera, e delli due
giovani per il novo collegio; scusandosi il Patriarca haver timore, che la
natione l’accusi, e che resti privato dal suo officio per la corrispondenza con
Christiani di Europa… Conforme al parer comune di questi PP. Missionarij
Cappucini, Gesuiti, et altri il trovar gl’Alunni per mezzo di Patriarchi, mai
s’arriverà al fine, come già si vede in effetto. E pero faccio ogni diligenza
trovargli per altra strada.” It is necessary to admit that the greatest
difficulty of the Greek Melkites to send their children to Europe was the
common persuasion, besides not far from reality, since in Europe one could
change rite! It was Queyrot himself who tell us this in a letter of December 26,
1636: “gli Scismatici (i.e. the Greek-Melkites) s’imaginano che o loro
figliuoli andando in christianità siano per mutar rito e religione, e farsi
franchi come essi dicono” SOCG,
vol. 195, fol. 599r.
[320]
Fr. Antoine de l’Aquila made the request to the Congregation for the
Propagation of the Faith for him to be reimbursed the cost of the travels.
According to this request we know that “il Padre frat’Antonio dell’Aquila
comparse a Livorno alli 24 Dicembre 1640 con sei giovani (Ingoli adds this:
‘Arabi cioè 4 arabi e due maroniti) Maroniti, e di quivi partinno per Roma alli
25 Gennaro 1641” (SOCG, vol. 404, fol.
402r). Ingoli ordered that the 2 Maronite be sent to Ravenna (Ibid., fol. 415v).
[321]
The request of Pietro Dip (sic) reveals to us he took a course in painting
after having finished 7 years of studies at the College of the Congregation for
the Propagation of the Faith in 1647, when he was 23 years old (SOCG, vol. 413, fol. 218r, 219r, ss0r, 221r, 222r, vol.
417, fol. 504v). Secretary of the Congregation Ingoli who knew this young
Greek-Melkite and who supported him to follow the course in painting for 6
months, wrote for the Congregation meeting 80 of March 23, 1648: “Desiderando
detto Pietro che stà fuori del Collegio per imparar la pittura ritornar alla
patria con occasione della compagnia, che havrà dell’Agente del Patriarcha de
Maroniti supplica la Sac. Cong. per il viatico, e per una somma di San Thomaso,
et un catechismo, e per alcuni psalterij e grammatiche cosi latine come greche
disignando arrivato alla patria di apir una schola per la sua numerosa Natione
de Melchiti, colla quale spera far gran frutto anche, nell’istruire li suoi
compatriotti nella fede catholica e perche possa far quest’utile essercitio, e
non sia necessitato d’applicarsi à qualche essercito per vivere supplica, che
se le assegni una provisione competente almeno per un triennio, sinche si possa
ordinare dal metropolita d’Aleppo secondo il Rito Greco della sua natione, et
haver poi la missione dalla Sac. Cong. poichè se non s’ordina cola non sarà
ricevuto da suoi per sacerdote ben ordinato” (Ibid., fol. 494r). By this we see the affirmation of
Korolevsky and all those who followed him (F. Taoutel, J. Nasrallah…) in
writing: “the first Melkite student of the Congregation for the Propagation of
the Faith, Wahbe (Theodore) Daoud, received in 1661, was from Aleppo,” needs to
be corrected. In fact in 1641, Greek-Melkite Peter Dib was already among the
students of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith! Compare with: F.
Taoutel, Contribution à l’histoire d’Alep. Les Documents maronites et
leurs annexes depuis 1606 jusqu’à nos jours,
I, 1606-1827, Beirut 1958, p. 34; Nasrallah, Notes et Documents, p. 137.
[322]Radu, p. 46. On this occasion Euthymios
III consecrated as bishop the priest Joseph the Aleppian whom he sent to Russia
to collect money for his patriarchate, but he died at Putivl near Moscow. Cf. Buletinul
Comisiumei Monumentelor Istorice,
Bucharest, V (1912), p. 113 (cited by Radu on the subject of Putivl).
[323]
Cf. above footnote 307. This was the future Patriarch of Antioch, Neophytos the
Chiot (1672-1682; died in 1686). Cf. DHGE,
“Antioche,” col. 700; C. Bacha, History of the Greek Melkites (in Arabic), Saida 1942, p. 65; Musset II, p. 164.
[324]
We remark that Paul of Aleppo said nothing about the relations between the
Greek-Melkite prelates and the Latin missionaries. It appears that he had
severe recommendations from his father, Macarios, who also remained silent
about them! For the Hellenes sometimes understood Arabic! Musset, II, p. 161 notes the confusion on this point of DHGE, 3, col. 641 without dispelling it. It is clear that this was Euthymios III the
Chiot who took Fr. Queyrot with him to Damascus, and not Euthymios II Karmeh.
But what year? Levenq and d’Aultry (cf. Musset, I, op. cit.) affirms that it was in 1641, while Besson (p, 68) states that it
took place “at the beginning of the year 1643” and the Italian translation of
Besson’s book gives the year 1645! SOCG, vol. 196, fol. 43r-46v, conforming with A. Carayon (Relations
inédites des Missions de la Compagnie de Jésus à Constantinople et dans le
Levant au XVII siècle, Poitiers-Paris 1864,
p. 152), with Besson (p. 68) and his Italian translation, with Levenq (La
Première mission de la Compagnie de Jésus en Syrie, Beirut 1925, p. 20) and finally with Radu (pp. 46-47), we state that
J. Queyrot was brought by Patriarch Euthymios III when he left Aleppo on
November 22, 1640 and arrived at Damascus in the beginning of 1641. He remained
there until August 1641 (Carayon, op. cit., p.. 152) to return to Aleppo (SOCG, vol. 196, fol. 44r). At the beginning of the 1643,
Queyrot was again in Damascus until October of the same year when Euthymios III
left Damascus to visit the dioceses of his patriarchate and collected money to
pay 7000 ecus exacted by the Turks (Besson, p. 68; Radu, p. 46; Macarios of
Aleppo, p. 632; compare with Le Quien, II, col. 773 who wrongly attributed this
event to Patriarch Karmeh). After the return of Euthymios III to Damascus
(Radu, p. 47, Macarios of Aleppo, p. 632), Queyrot also returned there,
probably at the beginning of 1645.
[325]
Fr. J. Amieu wrote to Fr. Aultry on August 16, 1641: “the Patriarch of Antioch
who brought (Fr. Jerome Queyrot) promised him to live in the patriarchate (in
Damascus) and to give him the convenience to instruct the (Greek) boys and to
make the functions of the Company” (A. Carayon, op. cit., pp. 152-153). Fr. Thomas Vitale of Monteregale,
Provincial of the Dominicans of Armenia write in 1643 in his “Relatione
della missione d’Aleppo, e di Damasco:” Il
P. Gerolamo (Queyrot) oltre la lingua arabica sà perfettamente la lingua greca
litterale; fu chiamato a Damasco da quell vescovo (especially patriarch) molto
affettionato a’ cattolici et il Papa, accio insegnasse la lingua à i greci istessi,
vi ando, io ve lo trovai nel mio ritorno di Gerusalemme” (SOCG, vol. 196, fol. 44r; cf. Acta, vol. 15, fol. 293v).
[326]
It is the same Fr. Thomas Vitale who relates it: “Il P. Gerolamo era
maltrattato nel vivere, e poi non solamente non volevano I greci che celebrasse
nella chiesa loro, ma neanco privatamente in una stanza della casa del Vescovo
(i.e. Patriarch Euthymios III) ove si tratteneva; e Monsignore per la durezza
di coloro (i.e. the Greeks) non poteva rimediare; gia il Padre s’era amalato e
allora stava poco bene. Io gli dissi che à lavar las testa à gli animi si perde
il sapone, e l’essortai a ritornarsene in Aleppo e cosi fece finalmente, e
ritorno à leggere et insegnare à dodici scolari” (SOCG, ibid.). In this we see why Euthymios III could not
quickly have amicable relations with Rome and its missionaries in the east,
despite the affection he had toward the latins and the pope.
[327]
This is what the letter of the Guardian of Jerusalem, Andre d’Arc, reveals to
us, written to Ignoli on August 15, 1640: “In Damasco vi è un’Arciprete con
diversi sacerdoti Maroniti, che hanno vigilante cura dell’anime della
lor’natione, et noi altri per ordinario diciamo messa nella loro chiesa, che
pero per quello fine (i.e. treating with the Greek-Melkite Patriarch of
Antioch) non han’bisogno di sacerdoti latini, verdo nondimeno mandar’ivi due
Padri, ch’attendino alla lingua (arabica) et al tentavio che lei pretende (SOCG, vol. 119, fol. 65r). We see that this Latin
missionary wanted to allow the Maronite priests of Damascus the care of dealing
with the Greek Melkite Patriarch of Antioch. But Ingoli was of another opinion.
[328]
It is the back of the letter mentioned in the preceding note which Ingoli wrote
on October 27, 1640 to Fr. Andre d’Arc: “Li preti maroniti in Damasco sono
tanto poco atti ad insegnar alli loro maroniti la via della salute, e le
lettere, e meno per trattar col patriarcha (i.e. Euthymios III) ch’il mandar
cola due padri è necessario simpliciter, e tra quelli ne dovrebbe essere uno
che sapesse la lingua arabica, per potere frequentemente trattar con quell
patriarcha, il cui Antecessor Metran Carme finalmente si fece e mori catholico,
e quando si guadagni quell prelato, s’avranno frutti degl’alunni, e quando si
facino scole di lingua Italiana, e latina, non sarà difficile haver quanti
Alunni si vorranno. Il padre Sanseverini sarebbe ottimo per mandar in Damasco
presso quell patriarcha, e se li farà la missione accio prelato V. Paternità
ordini al detto padre che vi vada e scriva per la missione di lui con uno, o
due compagni per tutta la Soria che le mandero le speditioni, e sopra il tutto
in ogni Capellaria comandi che si facino scuole de lingua italiana, e latina
con far istruir la Gioventù nella dottrina christiana, nella pietà, che per
questa strada si faranno gran progressi col. tempo” (Ibid. fol. 67v).
[329]
We will come back to this later because these discussions show how one
conceived controversial points between Latins and Greeks in Syria during this
epoch. However, we remark here that this missionary had to make the Greek
prelate confess that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Farther and the Son “per
modum unius pricipii totalis et aedequati: and that the pope is the first among
the patriarchs (SOCG, vol. 196, fol.
212rv).
[330]
“Il Signor Patriarcha si diceva maggiore dal Sommo Pontefice Romano, imperoche
S. Pietro fu premieramente pontefice in Antiochia et quelli del Oriente furono
gli primi convertiti, donche il patriarcha Antiocheno è primo in ordine” (Ibid., fol. 212v).
[331]
In fact Michael of Rennes wanted to convince him by presenting all kinds of
arguments on Roman primacy. And the patriarch seemed to have said: “Io confesso
il Pontefice Romano et lo conosco capo della Chiesa Cattolica et tengo vera
tutta sua credenza et se non avessi paura d’altri greci io mi glorificarei a
tutto il mondo d’essere sogietto della detta chiesa Romana ma dieci milla scudi
non sarebono bastandi per pagare le ruine che mi sareboro procurate in
Constantinopoli” (Ibid.). Compare this
text with another account of the same missionary made in Latin around 1641:
“Patriarcha Antiochenus pro graecorum natione post aliquas cum nobis in
materiis fidei contoversias quando profectus sum Damascum missionem ibi
fundaturus, mihi tandem protestatus est se cognoscere Romanun Pontificem verum
divi Petri successorem ac Christi Domini Vicarium; addiditque haec verba; nisi
vererer constantinopolitanum patriarcham et alios refragantes palam profiterer
me Romanae subiectum Ecclesiae. Sed id publicassem nec decem mille aurei hanc
professionem essent solvendo, ipse autem non ignorat idcirco venenum suo
propinatum fuisse predecessori hoc est patriarcha Carmi” (SOCG, vol. 120, fol. 28v).
[332]
“Il Patriarcha mi prometto spesse volte di scrivere a Sua Santità qualmente
esso tiene l’istessa credenza del suo predecessore il Patriarca Carma gia
nominato; ma l’ubbedientia mi chiamo in altre parti et pero (= percio) lasciai
la cosa in questo punto; tuttavia il medesimo prelato m’a in ogni occorentia
sempre fatto dopoi parere un grandissimo affetto verso la Chiesa Romana et
promesso di scrivere come sopra ma non si è presentata alcuna occagione per
farsi commodemente” (SOCG, vol. 196,
fol. 212v). Compare this account of Capuchin Michael of Rennes with that of
Jesuit Fr. J. Amieu of 1650. Cf. Rabbath, I, pp. 401-402.
[333]
This Orthodox Patriarch “Catholicos tum latinos tum maronitas singulari
amplectitur benevolentia, nobisque in omnibus tantopere favet ut aliquem ex
nostris missionaries voluerit quasi per vim suum consecrare Episcopum, aliquem
nobis obtulerit gratiarum actione dignissima” (Account of Michael of Rennes in
1641: SOCG, vol. 120, fol. 28v).
[334]Ibid. However the Capuchin missionary
asked the Congregation to send them to him complimentary, in view of his
“benevolentia” toward the Latin missionaries.
[336]
Besson, p. 68; SOCG, vol. 197, fol.
346v; Levenq, op. cit., p. 20;
Rustum, p. 46; C. Bacha, op. cit.,
p. 66.
[337]
Macarios of Aleppo, p. 632; Radu, p. 51; Besson, p. 68. Compare with Le Quien
II, col. 773 and DHGE, vol. 3, col. 641.
The words of Besson “But the patriarch, having been obliged to leave Damascus
for the payment of the sum of seven thousand ecus that the Turks demanded of
the Greeks according to their custom…” made Le Quien and Korolevsky think that
the patriarch left Damascus to run away from the request of the Turks, whereas
he left to find the required money. Moreover he returned to Damascus and died
there three years later, whereas his successor was only consecrated patriarch
on November 11, 1647 (Macarios of Aleppo, p. 663; Radu, pp. 53-54).It was in
Aleppo particularly that Euthymios III found the necessary money during his
last trip to Aleppo between the
first of February and May 17, 1644 (Radu, p. 51). Note that the future Syrian
Catholic Patriarch Akhi-Jean (sic in Arabic) made his profession of Catholic
faith in Aleppo on April 7, 1644, while the Greek patriarch was in this very
city! (SOCG, vol. 123, fol.
285r-286r).
[338]
Besson, p. 68. To have an idea about these persecutions, let us report the
description given by Dominican Fr. Thomas Vitale on the attitude of the
Hellenes of Damascus on the first trip of Fr. Queyrot to Damascus in 1641 (see
footnote 326 above). It is in this context that it was necessary to see why the
Maronites of Damascus had to flee to Mount Lebanon in 1643. Fr. Queyrot could
only celebrate Mass in the churches of the Maronite, who consequently were
considered allies of the Franks. The persecution of the Maronites of Damascus
in 1643 passed to Tripoli in 1644 (cf. Letter of Brice of Rennes of September
12, 1643 and that of Michael of Rennes of February 22, 1645, in SOCG, vol. 123, fol. 253rv and vol. 62, fol. 97rv and
114r).
[339]
Radu, p. 51: “the father and master Kyr Euthymios collected easily (rather “in
peace” = “bi salam’) the tithe from his subjects (in Aleppo) according to
custom and departed one hundred days later. He headed with haste toward Hama
and Tripoli on May 17 (1644) and then returned to Damascus. Probably the
patriarch did not remain long in Tripoli before going back to Damascus because
of the Turkish persecution against the Maronites of Tripoli.
[340]
Rustum, p. 46, bases himself on DThC (X,
col. 1070-1081) to affirm that the Patriarch of Antioch Euthymios “commended
Meletios Syrigos for his attitude toward the confession of Peter Moghila, Metropolitan
of Kiev, on the subject of Orthodox doctrine maintaining the Epiclesis in the
sacrament of the transformation and rejecting Purgatory, by participating with
his confreres, the 3 patriarchs, in 1643 in order to accept the confession of
Moghila after its correction.” Le Quien (II, col. 773) wrote somewhat
differently: “Anno itaque 1643 Euthymio, ut fert Vaticanus codex, vel potius
Eutychio Chiensis patriarchatum eripuit Macarius Haleppensis qui eodem anno
Constantinopoli agens, una cum Parthenio seniore Patriarcha
Constantinopolitano, Joannicio Alexandrino et Paisio Hierosolymitano
Patriarchis, ‘confessionem ecclesiae Orientalia,’ à Petro Mogila Russiae
metropolitan delineatam approbavit, hunc in modum suscribens, ‘Makarios, Eleo
Theou, Patriarches Tes Meghales Theou Poleos Antiochias,’ Macarius Patriarcha
magnae Theopolis Antiochiae.” We know no Orthodox prelate of the Patriarchate
of Antioch who had signed this confession (cf. J. Aymon, Monumens
authentiques de la Religion Grecque…, La
haye, 1708, pp. 358-362, where the Calvinist author had also once attached the “ignorant Patriarchs” of Antioch as
he states further pp. 457-460, against Patriarch Macarios of Antioch who signed
a profession of Orthodox faith against the Calvinists on December 5, 1671!)
Besides, Macarios of Antioch was called Meletios in 1643 and was the
Metropolitan of Aleppo (Radu, pp. 49-51; Macarios of Aleppo, pp. 632-633);
moreover no voyage of this metropolitan to Constantinople is mentioned before
his accession to the patriarchate in 1647 (Radu, p 4 and 84). All the more so
since the 2 other patriarchs, Joannikios of Alexandria and Paisios of Jerusalem
mentioned by Le Quien (loc. cit.)
and Kimmel (I, pp. 53-54), only became patriarch in 1645! (cf. ERM, 2 (1963), col. 76; 6 (1965), col. 842; 8 (1966),
col. 1240-1242).
On the subject of the
Confession of Moghila, cf. EO, 26 (1929)
414-430; OC, no. 39 (1927); J.
Karmiris, The Confession of Peter Moghila (in Greek), Athens 1953; Bapheides, Ecclesiastical History (in Greek), III, 1st part, pp. 146 ff.
Note that Euthymios III of Antioch was no longer present at the great synod of
Constantinople on September 24, 1638, which had gathered the other 3 Orthodox
patriarchs. Cf. DThC, III, col.
1429.
[341]
See above footnotes 306 and 318. The “Relation pour l’an 1650” of Jesuit J. Amieu shows us how Euthymios III
always feared the fate of his predecessor, Euthymios II Karmeh. The account of
Capuchin Michael of Rennes in 1641 confirms the first and reveals the state of
mind of Euthymios III who reflected the other Orthodox of Antioch under the
Ottoman yoke. Cf. Rabbath, I, p. 402; SOCG, vol. 120, fol. 28v and vol. 196, fol. 205r-215r.
[342]
Radu, pp. 52-53; Macarios of Aleppo, p. 663. Before the “amazement” of the
Greek clergy of Damascus while their patriarch was dying, because of his
designation of the Metropolitan of Aleppo as his successor, one could wonder if
his life had not been shortened in order to have had better relations with the
Latin missionaries!
[343]
The Capuchins founded their residences in 1632 at Saida, in 1634 at Tripoli and
in 1637 at Damascus (cf. SOCG, vol. 197,
fol. 55r-57r; “Brevis descriptio locorum Missionis Capucinorum provinciae
Brittinicae in partibus Syriae et Palestinae”). The Jesuits had their
residences in 1643 in Damascus (Besson, p. 68), in 1645 in Saida and Tripoli
(cf. J. Hajjar, Les chrétiens Uniates du Proche-Orient, Paris, 1962, p. 219; SOCG, vol. 197, fol. 102r).
[344]
In fact, the majority of Christians of Damascus, Saida and Tripoli were
Greek-Melkites.
[345]
Cf. Besson, p. 16: “The people of Aleppo are naturally good, and the Gospel it
seems would not be disheartened if the door in was open. The people love the
Franks and do not hate the Christians at all, the number of which is around one
fifth of the city for which I wish
the accomplishment of a good name of Hierapolis which some authors call it.
Outside of individual conversions among the Jacobites, Nestorians and Armenians
of Aleppo (cf. for example SOCG, vol.
413, fol. 145v; vol. 416, fol. 324r; vol. 128, fol. 89r, 96r and 99r), we have
found no trace of “conversion” among the Greek Melkites at that time. The
missionaries affirmed the “reduction” of some Greeks to the Catholic faith, who
promised to make a written profession of faith without ever making it (cf. SOCG, vol. 62, fol. 80r and vol. 196, fol. 205r).
[346]
It was Capuchin Michael of Rennes who recounts only how he had discussions with
the rabbi of Aleppo by converting some Jews and some Turks to the catholic
faith! (SOCG, vol. 196, fol. 206rv).
[347]
Queyrot wrote on December 26, 1636: “tutti i Sacerdoti e Vescovi o Metropoliti
di questi paesi, altro non sanno che leggere e scrivere” (SOCG, vol. 115, fol. 599r). However, when we read the
works of Karmeh, Macarios of Aleppo, Paul of Aleppo, etc…, this judgment
appears very exaggerated to us.
[348]
Cf. SOCG, vol. 118, fol. 115rv and vol.
106, fol. 224rv. In 1636, the students had reached the number 43 (SOCG, vol. 195, fol. 598v). Compare with Acta, vol. 12, fol. 33or; De Vries, p. 320.
[349]
Cf. the letter of Bonin, Consul of France in Aleppo, dated June 1, 1645, in SOCG, vol. 62, fol. 129rv.
[350]
Michael of Rennes wrote to Ingoli on February 26, 1645: “Il Signor Patriarcha
Maronita (Joseph Akouri newly elected) mandera quanto prima un Oratore pro
pallio quale condura seco li alunni per Ravenna. Il detto partiarcha ha fatto
ultimamente certa congregatione delli soi vescovi et sacerdoti, la principal
propositione d’essa fu in certa maniera contra li missionnarii quali essendo in
gran stima et honore da tutto il popolo li preti della detta natione vedendosi
come dispregaiti rapressentarno in qualche maniera quello che disse
l’evangelio: ‘quid facimus quia hic homo multa signa facit. Si dimittimus eum
sic omnes sequentur eum et venient Romani et tollent locum nostrum et gentem,’
cosi costoro persuasero con tanta efficacia al detto Signor Patriarca che se
tollerava li missionarij con l’autorita delle Bulle Apostoliche loro nessumo si
veria piu confessare a essi (perche sono ignorantissimi et cupidissimi di
pecunia) (sic) che finalmente il detto Signor Patriarca fece un decreto dove
scommunica quelli ch’ascoltrano le misse di franghi le domeniche et feste et
ogni uno che si confessara o communicara alli Religiosi franghi, senza licentia
in scriptis, quale licentia non vol dare a nessumo come l’habbiamo
esperimentato essendo andati trovarlo et ingenochiati alli soi piedi con ogni
instantia non l’ha voluto concedere nence (= neanche) in casu necessitatis…” (SOCG, vol. 62, fol. 62, fol. 105rv). Having had the right to explain himself
before the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, the Maronite
Patriarch wrote on April 26, 1646: “Non si è fatta questa prohibitione se non
la disunione de Popolo, et per la mutatione delle nostre usannze et per altre
necessità,… anzi s’era disunito il nostro popolo de Maroniti principalmente in
Aleppo, et divisio in quarto parti, una parte con li Padri Cappucini, con li
Padri Carmelitiani una parte, con li Padri Gesuiti un’altra, et il resto del
popolo con li nostrri Sacerdoti, et haveano mutato l’usanze della nostra
Natione, nessun’honore, et respetto portando alla nostra Sedia, et alli nostri
Arcivescovi…” (SOCG, vol. 128,
fol. 45r).
[351]
The Carmelite Thomas of St. Joseph wrote to Ingoli on October 5, 1645: “Credo
Sua Signoria Ill.ma havera intesso il grande impedimento ch’ha mess oil nuovo
Patriarcha de Maroniti al bene dell’anime della sua gente, con prohibire sotto
pena di scommunica a tutti sui di confessari o communicarsi da Missionarij
franchi; andando tanto innanzi che hà scommunicato anche i missionarij che
confesseranno o communicheranno alcuni de sui, il che ha caggiaonato grand.mo
scandalo min questa povera natione quale camminava tanto bene che era
benedittione di Dio… Gl’altri christiani Scismatici vengono liberamente et
questi che sono della Chiesa non ardiscono; sarebbe buono che la S.
Congregtatione vi mettesse ridemio, altrimenti li altri vescovi scismatici
prohiberanno similmente i sui…” (Ibid.,
fol. 74rv; cf. also SOCG, vol.
62, fol. 129rv).
[352]
“Ob mercatores in ea degentes, vel ad illam confluentes” (SOCG, vol. 196, fol. 89r). It is true that the nomination
of a Latin bishop in Aleppo did not have a direct relation with the
excommunication made by the Maronite patriarch, but the missionaries themselves
already knew that a similar thing would have to come one day or another for all
the Christian prelates of Aleppo. A Latin prelate could serve them well as
someone to lean on in case they were rejected by the others.
[354]
Ingoli wrote for the Congregation meeting 5 on January 23, 1645: “De episcopo
in civitate Aleppi constintuendo: … Conviene far questi vescovi nell’Asia
perche come si vede dalla lettera del Padre Ignatio Carmel. Scalzo,
l’Arcivescovo di Goa si và facendo padrono dell’Asia, e vuol cacciar le
missioni de nostri Italiani da Bassora, non ostante, che sia giuridicamente del
Vescovo di Bagdat facendo pertutto li suoi vicarij, come con più lettere è
stata avvisata la Sac. Congregatione” (SOCG,
vol. 196, fol. 98v).
[355]
Cf. “Positione per servitio de’ Christiani d’Aleppo” in SOCG, vol. 407, fol. 335r: “Altre volte s’è trattato in
questa S. Congregatione di far’ un Vescovo in Aleppo Città populatissima con
tutte le sette d’Oriente, ove sono 4 Missioni, cioè de’ Minori Osservanti,
Carmelitani Scalzi, Capucini e Gesuiti, per seguitar l’ordine incominciato di
far’ un Vescovo in ciascun Regno del’Infedeli: perche le Missioni sono sterili,
e non ponno far sacerdoti del Paese, li quali, come s’è visto per isperienza
nelle conversioni dell’Indie, hanno fatte molte più, che li nostril Sacerdoti
Europei.” The Decree of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith of
December 28, 1644 also gives this reason: “Ob mercaturam incolentium, vel ad
illas (= cities of Syria) confluentium qui indigent Episcopo ob sacramentum
Confirmationis, olea sacra, et sacros ordines” (SOCG, vol. 196, fol. 89r).
[356]
In fact the Maronite bishop, Isaac Sciadraoui wrote to Rome in 1647 to protest
in the name of the Maronite hierarchy against these new measures: “Isaac
Maronita Alunno della Santa Chiesa Romana Arcivescovo di Tripoli di Soria
notifica S. Santità che il suo Patriarca insieme con l’altri Prelati della
Natione Maronita si dolgono e non hanno à caro che s’ordininio nelle loro
Residenze altri Prelati latini, gia che li Vescovi Maroniti sono nativi del
Paese e sopportano li travaglij e Tirannie de’ Turchi, essendo tanto obedienti
alla S. Chiesa Romana, e cattolici li Prelati Maroniti quanto li Prelati
latini, et una chiesa non puole havere insieme doi capi. Di più notifica S. Santità
che li frati e Religiosi Missionarij nelle parti di Levante propria auctoritate
ministrano li Sacramenti senza licenza del Patriarca e de’ Vescovi; per il che
predetto Arcivescovo per l’ordine che ha dal suo Patriarca e dalli Prelati
della sua Natione supplica Sua Santintà si degni dar’ordine che non si facciono
Vescovi latini nelle Residenze delli Vescovi Maroniti, e che li Missionarij,
secondo li canoni ecclesiastici non amministrino li Sacramenti se non con la
licenza del Patriarca o del Vescovo del luogho. Che altrimente ci sara della
dissensione e delli inconvenienti grandi, quali prohibendoli remediarà S.
Santità” (SOCG, vol. 413, fol. 123r).
But the congregation meeting 57 of April 26, 1647 responded: “Ubi sunt latini
catholici, mixti cum aliis catholicis diversi Ritus à Latino, Latinis datur
episcopus latinus, ob duas potissimas rationes: p.o ne successu tempore latini
ad Ritum aliarum nationum transeant; 2.o ad evitandam confusionem Rituum, à
Sacris canonibus et constitutionibus pontifijs prohibitam” (Ibid., fol. 123v).
[357]
According to Ingoli the Latin rite was “più sicuro e più approvato degli altri,
che sono stati da patriarchi heretici corrotti” (Ibid., fol. 126v). As for the creation of a Latin
Patriarch of Jerusalem, it was the guardian of this city, François de Como, who
anticipated in 1646 what Pius IX did two centuries later for other reasons. In
fact in a letter of January 28, 1646, this Franciscan missionary wrote to
Ingoli: “Dico che’ s’appartenesse a me tal dispositione (i.e. to create Latin
bishops in the East), al fine del mio triennio eleggerci qualche huomo di pezzo
per mio successore, et in quello solo trasferirci detti Vescovati (of Cairo and
Aleppo), con qualsivoglia altro dell’Oriente; acciochè come Metropolita o
Patriarca commune a tutti li secolari contraditione tutti indirizzare, reggere
e governare con tranquilità, e pace…” (SOCG, vol. 128, fol. 14r).
[358]
Cf. SOCG, vol. 195, fol. 598r-599v and
602r. It concerns the letter of Fr. Jerome Queyrot written in Aleppo on December 26, 1636, in
which he affirms: “Hora il vero rimedio a cosi gran male (= the ignorance of
the local clergy) secondo il mio poco giuditio sarebbe d’instituire in queste
parti qualche seminario nel quale a spese S. Chiesa Romana ch’è capo e Madre di
tutte l’altre, s’allevassero et ammaestrassero nella virtù e nelle lettere
alcuni giovanetti di buona espettatione… Non credo che si possa trovar luogo
più a proposito per instituire un Seminario, che questa Città (= Aleppo) parte
per la vicinanza de’luoghi ove Monsignor il Patriarca de’ Maroniti, et il
Patriarca Antiocheno de’ Greci
fanno la loro residenza; parte per la moltitudine de’ Christiani d’ogni rito e
natione che qui si ritrova” (fol. 599rv).
[359]
This was the famous school of the Cardinal de S. Honophrius. Cf. Acta, vol. 12, fol. 330rv (Congregation meeting 233 of
July 20, 1637).
[360]
Cf. The letters cited above of Fr. Queyrot and of Fr. Antoine de l’Aquila. Cf.
also De Vries, p. 320. It is necessary
to teach Latin to the Greeks along with Greek and Arabic (SOCG, vol. 118, fol. 115r).
[361]
Until 1647 we know only the name of Peter Dib who remained 7 years at the
college of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith and 6 months after
with a Roman painter to return to Aleppo without any ecclesiastical order. Cf.
above footnote 321.
[362]
Cf. above footnote 324. According to the attestation of Capuchin Theophile
Rhedonensis, the Jesuits of Damascus had around 1647 between 20 and 30 Greek
boys in their school (SOCG, vol. 197,
346v).
[363]
This was the first Greek Patriarch of Antioch who had been the student of the
Jesuits. This was the beginning of a new conception of union with Rome
propagated in the ranks of the Greek prelates of Antioch. Cf. Musset, II, pp. 164-169.
[364]
There was, among others, Patriarch Athanasios III Dabbas who sent his
profession of Catholic faith to Rome around the end of 1686 (cf. Rabbath, II, pp. 106-107; Mansi, vol. 46, col. 116) and the Metropolitan of Tyre,
Euthymios Saifi who also sent his profession of Catholic faith immediately
after his accession to the episcopate in 1683. The nephew of Euthymios Saifi,
Cyril VI Tanas, was the first catholicized Patriarch of Antioch. Note that
Saifi had no connection of relationship or thought with Karmeh whose
Catholicism was more Orthodox than that of Saifi. Cf. Mansi, Vol. 46, col. 129-138; C. Bacha, History
of the Greek-Melkites (in Arabic), I,
Saida, 1938, passim. Compare with DHGE, vol. 3, col. 645 where several errors are superposed.
[366]
Capuchin Michael of Rennes wrote from Saida on December 24, 1642: “Fanno in
circa quindici giorni che ho instituito in cotesto hospitio una scola di
studianti tanto maroniti quanto greci et n’habbiamo di gia dieci, li quali ogni
giorno vanno motiplicando et si io volessi inanzi che fusse un mese credo che
n’haverei piu de cinquanta ma non habbiamo luogo bastante…” (SOCG, vol. 122, fol. 130v). The Jesuits bought themselves
a house in Saida on May 7, 1645. Cf. J. Hajjar, Les Chrétiens uniates
du Proche-Orient, Paris 1962, p. 219.
[367]
Cf. DHGE, “Beyrouth,” VIII, 1309; SOCG, vol. 197, fol. 110r and 346v. The Carmelites sent
two fathers, the Jesuits only one, who on April 26, 1645 took possession of the
two rooms in the Khan of the port.
[368]
Cf. SOCG, vol. 128, fol. 126rv where
Capuchin Michael of Rennes asked the Congregation for the Propagation of the
Faith to send a bishop to visit the missions in the east, adding: “Lodato
Iddio, li capuccini non hanno ancora cacciato via alcuno visitatore Apostolico
come feccero quelli (= the Franciscan Fathers of Jerusalem) per due volte il
detto monsignore (= Peter Vespa, Bishop of Paphos in Cyprus), et l’havessero
cacciato per la terza volta se io non l’havessi aiutato, perche cotesti padri
non vogliono patire alcuno altro nel Oriente, etiamche nessumo di essi si
travaglia in maniera alcuna alla missione o alla conversione delle anime anzi
ruinano tutto per le discordie loro con li christiani Orientali come si vede
giornalmente…” (letter written at Saida on August 21, 1645).
[369]
Cf. SOCG, vol. 196, fol. 205r-215r, and
vol. 120, fol. 28v. It concerns the Greek bishop of Nazareth passing through
Damascus, who died 6 days after the discussion with Fr. Michael, because he had
not accepted the infallibility of the pope. Also he had been “castigato quasi
miraculosamente da Dio per sue bestemmie contro la Chiesa Romana” (fol. 212r of
vol. 196 cited). The patriarch in question is Euthymios III the Chiot who never
confessed in writing his tendencies for union with Rome. Cf. above footnotes
306 and 332.
[370]
Note that it concerns a Greek Orthodox Church where the Latin missionary could
freely preach to the faithful of this church! Cf. the reaction of other
missionaries before this “cummunicato in sacris” in SOCG, vol. 195, fol. 333rv. One could wonder on the other
hand how these Catholics could also frequent an Orthodox Church! The question
was posed to the missionaries of Aleppo since 1638: “Se un christiano
Scismatico venendo as un missionario per confessarsi ed abiurare la sua setta,
ed heresia, deve doppo la professione della fede sottraerlo, ed allontanarlo
d’ella Sua Chiesa, e riti, venendo, sempre dopo detta professione a Catholici
per il Sacramento di penitenza, il che essendo sarebbe causa d’el odio dalla
Sua Natione e d’elle Avanie de’ Turchi” (SOCG, vol. 118, fol. 69r). And Ingoli responded: “non
debet si Ritus non involvat heresim vel quid illum pro sancto aliquis hereticus
honoretur” (Ibid., fol. 69v).
[371]
“Per il bene, che facciamo con gli Greci, è che la piu grande parte di lori credono
a l’Ecclesia Catholica romana et cognoscono gla Sua Santità il Suo Pastore per
vero Successore di S. Pietro, io ho predicato assai volte nel Ecclesia loro et
mi oscultanno, et fanno stima del le mie parole come fossero catholici roamani,
et predicando a lori sopra la processione del Spiritu Santo, et provando che
procede del Padre et del Figlio come d’uno principio, ciascuno credeva al le
mie parole et nessumo mi diceva il contraio, quando assai volte venimo al la
disputa con lori sopra la preeminentia del Summo pontifice Il Papa, restanno
confusi, et non sanno che rispondere et restanno convinti, ricognoscendolo
Vicario di Christo et vero Successore di S. Pietro” (SOCG, vol. 120, fol. 42r). For most of the missionaries
in the east this represented the principal object of their preaching among the
Orthodox.
[372]
In an account of Capuchin Theophile Rhedonensis, written around the year 1647,
we read: “(we see coming) in illam missonem nostrum Palestinae et Syriae RR.
Patres Carmelites discasos et Jesuitas, quibus possent dici verba Christi
Domini Nostri, quod missi fuerunt metere quod non laboraverant, Patres enim
nostril spinas eccllerant et ipsi in labores eorum introierunt… Sunt etiam R.
Patres Observantes ex Jerusalem et Jersuitas in Sydone et Damasco, sed nulli
eorum Missionem faciunt…” (SOCG, vol.
197, fol. 346v).
[373]
One was convinced that “se li franchi hanno da venire pigliare queste parte, se
non vi si trovano Missionarij nel medesimo tempo non se portra far fruttto” (Ibid., fol. 110r). And Michael of Rennes wrote: “Certo si
il Signor Idio stabilisse buono pace tra principi christiani con una crociada si vederia quanto profitto nostril missionarij hanno
fatto costa” (SOCG, vol. 196,
fol. 206v).
[374]
It was his son, Paul of Aleppo, who left us a witness of his famous “Voyage
du Patriarche Macaire d’Antioche.” Radu (p.
52) made a mistranslation in his French version: “the priests and clergy met,
they gave him (= Euthymios) the sacred unction and asked him who should replace
him if he died. He responded to them by telling them his wish and intention:
‘If you want a clever organizer do not put another person as patriarch other
than the Metropolitan of Aleppo.’ He finished this judicious advice by the
excellent word of the holy Gospel: ‘the disciple will be considered like his
master.’ He was made like his predecessor, that is to say the one who had
consecrated him. He chose (my father) (sic) metropolitan.” The Arabic text
(Radu, p. 52) which it is necessary to admit is very complicated, rather has
another sense in the second part of this paragraph: “for this judicious advice
fulfilled the excellent word of the holy Gospel ‘the disciple will be
considered like his master,’ because he had made like his predecessor, that is
to say like the latter (= Karmeh) had designated and chosen him, also the
former ( = Euthymios of Chios) had elected and made the Metropolitan of Aleppo
(= Meletios Zaim).”
[375]SOCG, vol. 195, fol. 599r: “E cosi tra
Greci un Tesitor d’Armesini (purple) tirato dal Telaio viene a esser fatto
Metropolita d’Aleppo” (letter of December 26, 1636). We clearly see that
Meletios Zaim had never studied with the Latin missionaries of this city, but
we know that he was son of the priest Paul, son of priest Abdel-Massih Zaim of
Aleppo, and from his infancy he was the disciple of Karmeh, whom he succeeded
in the episcopate and patriarchate (Radu, p. 42; Rustum, p. 49).
[376]
Radu, pp. 51 and 57; Rustum, Ibid. Paul
of Aleppo became a reader (and not “deacon” as Radu translated) on May 8, 1642.
On February 17, 1644 he had (!) to get married and on November 21, 1647 he was
ordained “archdeacon of Damascus, Aleppo and all the Arab countries.”
[377]
Radu, p. 42: “from his youth he was his student, he ordained him deacon, priest
and pastor by raising him to the rank of confessor.” Compare with the version
of Radu. Let us remark here that the article “Makarios Antiocheia” in ERM,
8 (1966), col. 485 contains several errors that the author could have avoided
by consulting the article “Antiochia”
in the same ERM, 2 (1963), col. 899-900 and 908. For example he
affirms that Patriarch Macarios had the name Meletios before entering into the
clergy and that he remained patriarch from 1641 to 1688, even though he was
named John before becoming Metropolitan Meletios of Aleppo and that he was patriarch
from 1647 until 1672!
[378]
Radu, pp. 43-44. It was the clergy and people of Aleppo who chose their new
Pastor and sent him to Damascus for episcopal chirotonia. It was not Karmeh who
consecrated his successor on the See of Aleppo as Rustum thinks (p. 49),
because Karmeh died on January 1, 1635 and Zaim was consecrated ten months
later by Euthymios III the Chiot. Besides the text reproduced by Rustum says
the contrary of what this author affirms! Meletios Zaim had many titles and
prerogatives to support his weak patriarchate, Cf. Chapter IV above.
[380]
Cf. L. Lemmens, Hierarchia latina Orientis,
in OC, 2 (1924) 296-300. Always
sick, Dovara never returned to Aleppo until his resignation in 1650. In Aleppo
one always knew about this nomination on which the French consul Bonin
congratulated the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith on May 28, 1646
(cf. SOCG, vol. 128, fol. 90r).
[381]
The first time he remained there from August 9 to November 22, 1640; the second
time from February 1 to May 17, 1644 (Radu, pp. 46-47 and 51). We see that the
patriarch had the right of receiving the tithe in all the eparchies of his
patriarchate without any resistance of the local bishop.
[382]
Radu, pp. 47-49. Paul of Aleppo notes that he had wanted to remain longer with
Patriarch Theophanes of Jerusalem.
[383]
Radu, p. 49. The affection of Zaim with the Georgians bore fruit when he became
Patriarch of Antioch with whom the Georgians identified as subjects. See the
eulogies of the missionaries further down, in Acta, Congregation meeting of November 29, 1666. Cf. Le
Quien II, col. 686. The affirmation of Musset II, p. 162, on the subject on the
envoy of Zaim in 1642 in Georgia, is based on the words of V. Grumel: “In
1641-1642, (Meletios Zaim) going to Jerusalem where he met Maximos, Catholicos
of western Georgia resulted in renewing relations of the Church of Antioch with
this country. In fact, on return to Syria, he was named by Patriarch Euthymios
III Exarch of the region of Amida (Diarbekir)” (EO, 27 (1928), p. 68. More precisely, Meletios Zaim had
been in Jerusalem for Pascha 1642. The Catholicos of Georgia accompanied him to
Aleppo by passing through Damascus (from May 1 to 8, 1642). Cf. Radu, pp.
48-49. But Meletios Zaim was exarch of Diarbekir since his accession to the
episcopate on October 27, 1635 (Radu, p. 44). And what is the relation of
Diarbekir with Georgia? When becoming patriarch, Zaim needed to consecrate a
bishop for the eparchy of Diarbekir and to designate an exarch for Georgia, two
different things (cf. Radu, pp. 57-58 and 62-63)!
[384]
This was reserved to the patriarch uniquely when he was in Damascus. Cf. Radu, Ibid. Compare with Le Quien, II, col. 773.
[386]
Radu, pp. 52-53. Macarios of Aleppo, p. 633. The version of Radu lends
confusion. The metropolitan was at Killiz and it was the messenger who looked
for him in other localities before finding him.
[387]
Radu, p. 53. Did he perhaps have this “grave illness” which Euthymios II Karmeh
suffered and which Euthymios III the Chiot now suffered? It seems that that he
also died of poisoning! (cf. Rustum, p. 103).
[388]
Radu, Ibid; Macarios of Aleppo, Ibid. Nevertheless Le Quien (II, p. 773) affirms: “anno
itaque 1643 Euthymio ut fert Vaticanus Codex, vel potius Eutychio chiensi
patriarchatum eripuit Macarius Haleppensis.”
[389]
Radu, pp. 53-54; Macarios of Aleppo, Ibid.;
Rustum, p. 48. The metropolitans were: Meletios of Hama, Philotheos of Homs,
Youasaf of Qara and Gregory of Hauran.
[391]
Radu, p. 55. To have an idea on the importance of this amount, it is sufficient
to remark how the patriarch could only obtain the 6000 piastres after having
collected the tithe from all the eparchies of his patriarchate, by visiting
them from July 6, 1648 until February 11, 1650 (cf. Radu, pp. 58-64). But
meanwhile the interest accumulated and it was necessary all over again!
[392]
Radu, pp. 56-57. Paul of Aleppo thinks that the debt surpassed thirteen
thousand piastres. That’s why the patriarch had to pawn the four patriarchal crowns
which the eparchy of Damascus possessed.
[393]
It concerns the Aleppian Deacon Gabriel who became archimandrite in 1648 under
the name of Gerasimos and who, after the return from his mission in Georgia,
was consecrated Bishop of Furzol on May 6, 1651 by Macarios himself. Cf. Radu,
pp. 57-58 and 68; Rustum, p. 53.
[394]
It is clear that Gaza was part of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Even so the
faithful of this eparchy did not hesitate going to request help from the great
Patriarch of Antioch, Macarios (cf. Radu, pp. 65-67). The future Archbishop of
Gaza, Paisios Ligarides, who looked for extracting money by all means, wrote to
the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith on January 16, 1653: “Aiutali
(= the Christians of Gaza) molto il presente patriarcha di Antiochia, detto
Macario, persona molto devota, e di grand giuditio, il quale tanto ha saputo
negotiare, con li governatori, che ha sminuito molto li charahi (=kharage),
spesse pero gran denari, con il consenso della citta di Gaza, et hora rimane indebito
di 1500 reali, linquali vanno giornalemente cresendo (sic for “crescendo”), con
le usure turchesce, a grandissimo danno, e pericolo delli habitanti christiani
di Gaza” (SOCG, vol. 197, fol. 197r). In
a preceding letter written by the same Ligarides on November 6, 1652, we read:
“Il patriarcha di Antiochia molto agiuto questi di Gaza, con farli scancelar
tanti Carazi (sic), per liquali molti si fecero turchi, per liverarsi dal
aggravio” (Ibid., fol. 204r). But
Paul of Aleppo shows that these Christians of Gaza were ungrateful toward the
Patriarch of Antioch (cf. Radu, pp. 66-67).
[395]
This was the Aleppian Salomon, son of the priest Farjallah, who took the name
Sylvester (Radu, pp. 67-68). Soon after, Sylvester died of the plague. The
Patriarch replaced him by Gerasimos of Furzol. Cf. above footnote 393. See
Rustum, p. 54.
[396]
Radu, pp. 68-70. Macarios was accompanied by his son Paul and by a large
retinue.
[398]
Paisios I of Larissa was elected in July and enthroned August 1, 1652. He was
driven out of the Patriarchate at the beginning of April 1653. He returned
around mid-March 1654 to be expelled again in March 1665 (cf. Grumel, I, p,
438).
[399]
Joannikios II was Patriarch of Constantinople the first time from November 16, 1646 until October 29,
1648, the second time from the beginning of June 1651 until mid-June 1652, the
third time from the first decade of April 1653 until the beginning of March
1654, and the last time from March 1655 until mid-July 1656 (Ibid.). It was
Paul of Aleppo who describes the details of this synod by mentioning the
principal ideas of the discourses of Sergios, of Paisios I and of his father
Patriarch Macarios who “pronounced a sermon in Arabic for one hour” (Radu, pp.
134-138).
[400]
Radu, pp. 138-139: “He anathematized him and all those who offered him their
assistance while he wore the stole and omophorion.” Radu has the anathema
against Cyril Lucaris, although it pertains here to Patriarch Joannikios II who
lived at the time of the synod.
[401]
Cf. Radu, pp. 147-200 and 443-524. While Macarios was also in Moldavia, there
had been a decisive battle between Basil Lupu and George Etienne who took him.
This latter one allowed the
Patriarch of Antioch leave for Vallachia.
[402]
V. Grumel (EO, 27 (1928), pp. 68 and 70)
speaks of the synod of Moscow at which Macarios III took part. He placed it in
1654, while Macarios did not arrive until 1655!
[404]
Cf. EO, 27 (1928), pp. 68-73, where we
can find a general idea on the literary work of Macarios III Zaim and on his role
in the Synod of Moscow of 1655. The Euchologion concerns the version made by
Karmeh and sent to Rome in 1634 with his Protosyncellos Pachomios. Cf. above
Chapter III.
[405]
In fact while Macarios III was at Bolkhov to celebrate Pascha, “he received a
letter from Alexis dated the evening of April 4 (1656) in which he was invited
by the emperor to return to Moscow, the emperor having had on Holy Friday a
discussion with Nikon on the attitude of the latter toward him” (Radu, pp.
8-9).
[406]
Cf. Bacha, Voyage, p. 74. It was Paul of
Aleppo who commented in the cited passage. For the question of rebaptism among
the Orthodox, cf. OC, no. 39
(1927), pp. 155-158.
[407]
Cf. Radu, pp. 9-10. In all the cities that he visited, Macarios III celebrated
the Divine Liturgy in all solemnity. He was received everywhere as the great
Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch, and the faithful as well as their leaders
appeared very generous to him.
[409]
The synod took place on August 28, 1659 at Damascus. Cf. the acts of this synod
in Rustum, pp. 55-56.
[410]
Rustum, pp. 56-59; Nasrallah, Chronologie,
p. 50; Radu, p. 37.
[411]
Franciscan Antoine de l’Aquila wrote to the Congregation for the Propagation of
the Faith on November 10, 1639 on the subject of sending two Greek candidates
to the college of S. Honophrius in Rome: “Il loro Arcivescovo anco si mostra
poco inclinato a questa santa impressa” (SOCG, vol. 119, fol. 106r).
[412]
Rabbath, I, p. 402. Here it concerns the visit that Macarios made to Saida on
July 6, 1648 and to Tripoli on October 18, 1648 which he left on February 15,
1649 after having covered all of Mount Lebanon and visited all his Greek
faithful as well as Emir Melhem. Cf. Radu, pp. 58-62; Rustum, pp. 50-51.
[413]
David, age 50, was beheaded by the Ottomans on July 28, 1660 after 3 months in
prison. His son Wehbe (or Theodore) entered the college of S. Honophrius of the
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith on December 29, 1661 and finished
by being a Carmelite and then named then Apostolic vicar at Smyrna with the
title of “Archbishop of Cyrene.” He died April 18, 1715. Cf. L. Lemmens, Hierarchia
Latina Orientis, in OC, I (1923) 253. Wehby David was called here David
Daud (=David)! Compare with Rabbath, I, p. 457; L’Unité de l’Eglise, 81 (1936) 748-789); Nasrallah, Notes et Documents, pp. 137-138. It was Consul Picquet who left us a
moving account of the martyrdom of this Greek-Melkite in Aleppo. Cf. G. Goyau, Le
rôle religieux du Consul François Picquet dans Alep (1652-1662) in Revue d’Histoire des Missions, 12 (1935) 161-198; Archives of the Roman
V. Emanuele Library, Varia 275, pp. 7-20:
“Breve relatione della gloriosa morte di David Greco martirizano nella città di
Aleppo a 28 Luglio 1660.”
[414]
Cf. Rabbath, I, pp. 456-459: “Brève relation de la Mission d’Alep in 1662
adressée aux âmes dévotes par les Supérieurs des Missions des RR.PP. Capucins,
Carmes et Jésuites” Cf. Rustum (p. 99)
which corrects the erroneous Arabic translation of this text made by Bacha (Voyage, pp. 119 ff).
[415]
“Knowing that the Consul (Picquet) had to leave to Rome and France, he
(patriarch) sent him a letter asking him to give it directly to the hand of His
Holiness, in which he manifested recognizing the pope as sovereign pontiff of
the Orthodox Church, and promised that he would do his utmost to reunite his
nation to the Roman Church from which pride had separated it” (Rabbath, I, p.
459). These affirmations need to be rectified by comparing them with the true
contents of Macarios’ letter (also nowhere to be found) exposed in Acta, vol.
31, fol. 100r-101r.
[416]
The manuscript bears the word “Chirentichio!” It concerns Euthymios II Karmeh
who, in 1634, sent his delegate Protosyncellos Pachomios to Rome with the
patriarchal seal to sign the union of the Greek Patriarchate of Antioch with
the Roman Church.. Pachomios also took with him two Arabic manuscripts of the
Euchologion and Horologion. Cf. above, Chapter III.
[417]
The manuscripts has: “dalla lingua greca nell’Armena,” and further “in lingua
siriaca!” One easily confused Arabic with Armenian and Syriac!
[418]
Karmeh died January 1, 1635. Cf. above Chapter III.
[419]
Karmeh had never asked for ten books to be printed at Rome, but only the Arabic
Bible with the Euchologion and Horologion. Cf. above, chapter III.
[420]Acta, vol. 31, fol. 100r-101r: “Il
Patriarca de greci di Antiochia accenna il desiderio grande, che hà di veder S.
Santità , mà già che non gli è permesso dalla distanza de luoghi, prega Dio,
che conduca a fine i suoi pensieri, che hà intorno all’unione della S. Chiesa,
e benche paia cosa difficile, spera, che si renderà facile coll’aiuto divino, e
della Beatissima Vergine. Supplica poi S. Santità voglio pregar Dio per quei
poveri christiani hoggi ridotti in estrema miseria, e paragonando lo stato
florido dell’antica Chiesa d’Oriente a quello, che prova adesso tanto
calamitoso, attribuisce si gran mutatione all’essersi essa separata dalla
Chiesa Romana. Hora è risoluto di cercar tutti i mezzi per riunirla, perche
questa separatione non proceduta da heresia alcuna, mà dalla superbia, è ben
vero, che per evitare molti disordini è necessario di procedere con segretezza, percio dice, che esporrà à S. Santità i suoi
disegni il Sr. Francesco Picquet, di cui loda le rare virtù, e particolarmente
la pietà verso i poveri, il zelo, e’l’industria usata per la conversione degli
heretici, e dice che se questo virtuoso, huomo fusse rimasto in quelle parti
haveria ridotta à perfettione l’unione delle nationi.
Aggiunge, che il Patriarca
Chierentichio (= Euthymios) fece instanza ad Urbano VIII che li fossero
stampati alcuni libri dalla lingua Greca nell’Armena (!= Arabic) necessarij per
la Religione, et il Papa decreto che si stampassero, mà perche essendo venuto à
morte il Patriarca non fù eseguito, replica egli il medesimo, e frà dieci libri
(!), che chiedeva quello, esso ne sciegle due soli, cioè l’Euchologion, e
l’Horologion.
Rappresenta la miserie, in
che sono condotti quei popoli per le tirannie, ch’essercitanno I Governatori
perche è difficilissimo il ricorrere al Sultano, atessa la troppa lontananza, e
dice, che se dureranno ancora per dieci anni, sarà l’ultimo esterminio di tutti
i christiani di quei Paesi, e che percio se paresse à S. Santità di persuadere
al Rè di Francia, che mandi per suo Ambasciatore in Constantinopoli il Sr.
Francesco Picquet, sarebbe l’unico rimedio di questo male, oltre che quei
christiani si disporrebbero maggiormente all’obedienza, et all’amore di S.
Santità, vedendo, che si degna di tener cura di loro. Intanto aspettano d’esser
consolati con una lettera di benedittione.” Despite the lacuna of this account,
we prove only what satisfies us of its content, since the original letter in
Arabic is no longer found.
[421]
Ibid., fol. 101r: “Monsignore Segretario dice, che il Sr. Piquet stima che per
adesso basti compliacerlo della stampa di questi due libri, e risponderli, et
intanto osservar come si porti per usarli poi quando lo meriti qualche altra
dimonstratione.” After leaving
Rome, Piquet changed his opinion and wrote to the Congregation for the
Propagation of the Faith “che si mandi loro (to the two Patriarchs, Greek and
Armenian) qualche cosa” (Ibid., fol.
152r).
[422]Ibid., fol. 101e: “Imprimantur libri
transmissi postquam fuerint diligenter recogniti, et si opus erit, expurgati,
ut si supplicetur Sanctissimo, ut benignè respondeat; scribatur etiam Patribus excalceatis,
ut si professionem fidei catholicae emisit, transmittant ad Urbem, ut possit
asservai in Regestis S. Officij.”
[423]
Korolevsky, Histoire des Patriarcats Melkites, II, p. 122.
[424]
From 1636 until 1645 there were 82 meetings of the particular commission for
the correction of the Greek Euchologion. But with the “grave controversies
which arose among the members of the commission” the work was abandoned. Cf.
Nasrallah, Notes et Documents, pp.
134-135. After the Congregation meeting of May 22, 1662, we see that the
interpreter of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, Abraham
Ecchellensis saw the Euchologion sent by Macarios and made it conform to the
Greek. Thus the suppressed commission needed to be reconstituted. The cardinals
wrote this rescript on July 17, 1662: “Instituatur denuo Congregatio
particularis super Eucologio per Em.mos Barberinum, Brancaccium et Albitium,
nec non.”
[425]Archiv. Vatic., epist ad princip., vol.
64, fol. 224rv: Venerabili Fratri Macario Patriarchae Graecorum Antiocheno
Alexander Papa VII.
Venerabilis frater salutem.
Cum ex literis fraternitatis tuae die 30 Septembris Anni praeteriti datis, cum
ex voce dilecti filii Francisci Piquet intellexumus, te non solum orthodoxae
fidei veritatem firmiter sequi, et Ecclesiam Romanan aliarum omnium Caput et
Magistram agnoscere, verum etiam omnibus mentis tuae viribus in eo totum esse,
ut Ecclesias et Populos tibi subiectos omnes benedicente Domino ad eiusdem
Apostolicae sedis Unitatem et communionem adducere queas quod ingenti sane cum
animi gaudio audivimus, cum nihil gratius, aut optatius Nobis accidere possit,
quam tot Animarum pretioso Iesu Christi sanguine redemptarum ad sinum
amantissimae Matris post aevi tanti vetustatem reductio, et salus. Quare
praecipuo Pontificae Caritatis affectu te quidem, ac zelum praeclarum tuum in
Domino complectimur, utque in adeo pium, et in comparabilis in utraque Vita
gloriae plenum opus toto pectore constanter incumbas, te etiam atque etiam
hortamur, atque rogamus. In hanc profecto causam cuncta, quae pro re ac tempore
poterunt, officiorum ut auctoritatis adiumenta conferre, et Misericordiarum
Patrem Deum precibus enixis adire nunquam desinemus. Caeterum florentissimae
quondam Ecclesiae istius afflictionibus, et calamitatibus ex intimo sensu Cordis
Paterni compatimur, easque S.R.E. Cardinalibus Sacrae Congregationis de
Propaganda fide mandavimus, et libros pro usu Sacerdotum, et profectu Populorum
a te petitos quamprimum recognosci, et imprimi curent, quaemadmodum ex illorum
literis omnia melius percipere poteris. Interim laboribus, et optatis piis tuis
Ven. Fr. Adiutorem et Protectorem Omnipotentem Deum oramus, Apostilicamque
benedictionem ab eo praemanter impertimur. Datum Romae apud S. Mariam Maiorem
sun Annulo Piscatoris Die 22 Julii 1662 Pontificatus Nostri Anno Octavo.” This
document was published in part by Tamarati (Istoria katholikobisa
karthvelltha scioris, Tiflis 1902, pp.
636-637) and entirely by Grumel (EO,
27 (1928), p. 75). Compare with Musset, II, p. 163 which affirms very simply: “Pope
Alexander VIII had the liturgical books that he had requested sent to him
(=Macarios)!”
[426]
This concerns the Syrian Archbishop of Aleppo, Dionysios Akhi-John, who had
been raised in the Maronite College of Rome and had received priestly
ordination as well as the episcopate from the hands of Maronite Patriarch John
Safrawi (1648-1656). In August 9, 1656 he was enthroned as Archbishop of the
Jacobites of Aleppo. The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith
considered him “Maronite” (Acta, vol.
32, fol. 41r). At the death of Jacobite Patriarch Simon of Tour Abdine, the
Catholics of Aleppo aligned themselves at the side of Akhi-John to proclaim him
patriarch. Cf. Rabbath, I, pp. 95-96 and 453-465; Musset, II, pp. 220-223; De
Vries, p. 321; A. Hayek, La relazioni della chiesa Siro-Giacobita
colla S. Sede dal 1143 al 1656 (unpublished
doctoral thesis which was sustained at the Oriental Institute of Rome in 1936).
[427]
The French Consul Baron, successor of Picquet at Aleppo, while the missionaries
of this city gave an account to Rome where it was read in the presence of Pope
Alexander VIII: “Il nuovo Patriarca è stato accolto con molte cortesie
dall’istesso Bassà con esibitione ancora di reprimere queli, che se gli
opponessero, et anche da gli altri due Patriarchi de Greci, e de gli Armeni,
che ambedue sono intrinsecamente cattolici, come apparisce dalla lettera, che
il primo scrisse alla Santità Vostra l’anno passato (cf. above footnotes 420
and 425), e da quella che il secondo invia hora onde per comandamento del
Bassà andaromo in Chiesa insieme col nuovo
Patriarca à far le solite cerimonie…” (Acta, vol. 32, fol. 41v-42r). Cf. Le Quien, II, col. 774.
Compare with Rabbath, I, p. 466, where it is said that the two patriarchs,
Greek and Armenian, with the brother of Andrew consecrated bishop a little
before in the same ceremony, “he (Akhi-John) said the ordinary prayers which
are suitable at the establishment of patriarchs.” And the people cried out:
“Today the Holy Spirit descends on the Church of the Syrians.” It even seems
that all three patriarchs “gave the blessing to the people.” Can we conclude
that it concerns a “Communicatio in spiritualibus” among a Catholic, Orthodox
and Monophysite? For these patriarchs, the essential was to belong to the
Church of Christ.
[428]Acta, vol. 32, fol. 42r: “Tre giorni
doppo (6 das later: Cf. Rabbath, I, p. 466) il console invito à pranzo tutti
tre I Patriarchi con i loro cleri, et havendo quello de greci fatto un brindisi
alla salute della S.V. con parole di sentimento molto cattolico, fù fatta
ragione dagli altri due, e da loro cleri con la testa scoperta, et in piedi.”
Rabbath, I, pp. 466-467, recounts this fact and reports the words that Macarios
had pronounced at this banquet: “To the health of our Holy Father the Pope, head
of the Church, and I pray God that there be only one flock and one shepherd as
in the past.” It is necessary to admit that these words are not as clear as
some think they are (cf. EO, I
c., p. 74; Musset, II, pp. 162-163; Bacha, Voyage, pp. 119-123). What did he mean by “Church?” What
“Shepherd” was he speaking about? How did he see “in the past?” Let us not
forget the other part that “our Holy Father” is used much in the Greek Liturgy
to designate priests and bishops: for example “Pater hagie,” “Dhi Evkhon ton
hagion Pateron imon…” etc…
[429]
“Sperano il Console, et i Missionarij, che da questo successo debba presto
sortir l’unione, di tutte quelle tre nationi Orientali (= Syrians, Greeks and
Armenians) alla S. Sede perche quanto à i Soriani quei, che prima per paura del
Patriarca eretico erano catolici occulti, hoggi si sono manifestati cattolici.
Si spera il medesimo di quei pochi, che restano… E quanto poi àgli altri
essendo i Patriarchi Cattolici non consacreranno Vescovi, che non sian tali, ne
questi promoveranno al Sacerdotio gli heretici, dal che ne seguirà anche la
riduttione del Popolo…” (Acta, vol. 32,
fol. 42rv). This is the tactic that later would be applied by Euthymios Saifi
in Saida and Damascus. Cf. C. Bacha, History of the Greek Melkites (Arabic), Saida 1938, pp. 466 ff. See DHGE, 16 (1967), col. 67: “Saifi sent his religious to
preach in most of the eparchies of the patriarchate. He used this same tactic
as well to designate one of them to be near the bishop of the diocese, to
assist him, counsel him and when needed to take his place, and to succeed him.”
[430]
“Suggerisce riverentemente Monsignor Segretario, che quei Missionarij con la
solita ardenza della Natione non contenti di aiutar la fede con gli ordinarij
mezi spirituali, van procurando col denaro i mezi straordinarij con l’autorità
del Turco, e veduto, che riusci bene à Monsù Picquet il far dare per questa
strada il Vescovo Cattolico à Soriani come si è detto nella relatione si sono
con l’istessi mezi avanzati à farlo fare Patriarca, mà da persone pratiche
degli usi dell’Oriente, questo modo è sommamente biasimato; e se ne temono
pessimi effeti, perche havendo con questo introdotto il turco à por le mani in
queste materie, il che non haveva fatto sin’hora co’Cattolici, avverrà loro
quello, che à tutte l’hore avviene à gli altri scismatici, Greci, Armeni, e
Soriani, che frà poco si vederanno molti Vescovi, e Patriarchi deposti, e forsi
anche fatti morire, e posti in sedia hora un cattolico, hor’un Scismatico,
secondo le maggiori offerte, che saran fatte da una parte, e dall’altra… Con
questa medesima intentione insistono continuamente che si mandi denaro per
sovvenir quei cattolici, et alletar con questo gli altri; ma se gli è sempre
riposto, non giunger nuovo alla Congregazione, che con questo mezo si
convertirebbero tutti I Popoli dell’Oriente, che non sapendo communiemente
quell che si credano, sono indifferenti à qualunque fede, alla quale poi di
gran lunga antepongono l’interesse; mà ne questo modo, ne altro detto di sopra
de Vescovi esser punto conforme all’Institutio Evangelico, che professa la
Congregatione, ne alle sue forze, che devono abbracciar tutto il mondo, mà non
se rendono capaci si come con fatica arrivo à capire l’istesso Picquet, quando
fù qui, che per quel, che l’intende da persone di qualche prudenza hà con la
sua larga pietà apportato in questo più danno, che utile, poiche havendo
allettati quei Cattolici con questi sussidij, hoggi che non li ricenovo, se ne
sdegnano, e si alienano da i Missionarij” (Acta, vol. 32, fol. 43r-44r. Also see the attitude of Franciscan Fr.
Lambert, Guardian in Aleppo and commissioner of the Holy Land in Syria, in Acta, vol. 33, fol. 44rv).
[431]
“Concedatur Pallium, et Breve confirmationis pro novo Patriarcha cum solitis
clausulis sanationis nullitatum… Moneantur prudenter (Missionarii) iuxta id
adnotata à Secretario…” (Acta, vol. 32,
fol. 44rv).
[432]
This Armenian patriarch who lived in Aleppo at this time sent a letter of
obedience to Pope Alexander VII in 1662 (cf. footnote 427). In November 1666 he
arrived in Rome with his son, his two nephews and a priest to make the
profession of Catholic faith after having made it in writing one year earlier (Acta, vol. 35, fol. 320r-321r).
[433]
“Fr. Girolamo de S. Teresia Carmelitano Scalzo mandato quà dal nuovo Patraiarca
de Soriani per ottenergli la confermatione da S. Santità espone le seguenti
istanze:
1) Che à i due Patriarchi
de greci, e degli Armeni si mandino due calici. Dice Monsignor Segretatio
(Mario Alberici), che il Signor Console Picquet fù vario in questa materia,
quando si tratto d’inviare un regalo al Patriarca de Greci, perche prima disse,
che non bisognava, e poi scrisse, che si, e la varietà nasce, perche il farlo
unitamente con la risposta della lettera d’obedienza che scrivono, par che
deroghi qualche poco al decoro della materia, e possa da Scismatici malignarsi
di venalità quell’atto di obedienza che i Vescovi rendomo, all’incontro poi si
sà, che con li Orientali non vi è miglior mezo di questo per mantenerli in fede
(cf. the response of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith to the
Maronite Patriarch George Bseb’eli (1637-1670) who had requested pontifical
vestments, in Acta, vol. 33, fol.
100rv).
2) Che i medesimi
Patriarchi hanno pensiero di mandar due
Vescovi à render’obedienza à S. Santità, mà perche sarebbe forsi difficile à
rimandarli sodisfatti, come accade con gli Orientali poco capaci di ragione
(beautiful compliment for the easterners who lived in Rome), quando la S.
Congregatione non l’approvasse, esso ne farlà avvisato i Missionarij di Aleppo,
i quali procuraranno destramente di dissuader-negli” (Acta, vol. 32, fol. 63rv). Cf. Rabbath, I, p. 467. It
seems that this same Carmelite Jerome also carried letters of the three
Patriarchs, Syrian, Greek and Armenian, to Louis XIV. Cf. Rabbath, I, p. 477.
New letters were confided to Consul Baron for the French king in February 1663.
Cf. Rabbath, I. pp. 468-476. Macarios is content with exposing the misery in
which the Christians of the east are found. Cf. EO, 27 (1928), p. 76; Musset, II, p. 163; Hajjar, op.
cit., pp. 224 and 234; Rustum, p. 99.
[434]
“Quoad primum mittantur Calices petiti. Quoad secundum non impediuntur si
velint aliquem hùc mittere” (Acta, vol.
32, fol. 64r).
[435]
Korolevsky (DHGE, III, col. 643)
affirms: “Macarios decided in 1662 to write to Rome, waiting to hear if he
should perhaps send two bishops carrying his profession of faith, which he did
in fact in 1664.” Grumel (EO, 27,
(1928), pp. 76-77) repeats this without verification. Musset (II, p. 163) bases
himself on Korolevsky (loc, cit.)
affirms: “Macarios had this profession of faith carried to Rome by two of his
priests!” Nasrallah (Notes et Documents, p. 138) wrote that “Macarios had to follow (the letter examined on
May 22, 1662) with another, since the Congregation meeting of April 2, 1663
took note that Macarios was disposed to send two bishops to make the profession
of faith in his name.” To reassure our historians, it is certain the
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith only knew about two letters from
Macarios from 1647 until 1672 (cf. Acta, vol. 17-43): that dated September 30, 1661 addressed to Pope
Alexander VII (cf. footnote 425) and the other of December 14, 1663 addressed
to the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith that we will analyze
later. Macarios never wrote on the subject of sending two bishops or two
priests to Rome. It was the Carmelite Jerome of St. Therese who spoke of a
“pensiero” which had the two patriarchs, Armenian and Greek, send two bishops
to render obedience to the pope (cf. Acta, vol. 32, fol. 63v). Armenian Patriarch Khachadour went personally to
Rome in November 1666 (cf. footnote 432). The Greek Patriarch Macarios sent no
delegate to Rome. To affirm this we have consulted all the acts of the
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith from 1647 to 1673 (one year after
the death of Macarios) as well as the SOCG correspondents.
[436]
We find in the Archives of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (Scritture
non riferite dal 1662 a tutto il 1707, Maroniti, fol. 122r-123r) a “Copiah della lettera dell Ill.mo e Rev.mo
Patriarcha de Greci all’Ill.mo e Rev.mo Patriarcha de Maroniti” from June 1638.
This letter gives us a very exact idea on the situation of the Christians of
Aleppo during the visit of Macarios to his native city beginning May 7, 1661.
Cf. Acta, vol. 33, fol. 19r-20r.
[437]Scritture non referite, vol. cit., fol.
124r-125r (that of Armenian Patriarch Khachadour of June 4, 1663) and fol.
126r-127v (that of Syrian Patriarch Andrew Akhi-John of June 15, 1663).
[438]Ibid., fol. 122rv: “Macario per là
Misericordia di Dio Patriarcha de Greci e del resto dell Levante al virtuoso
fratello nostro là gloria di tutti i Patriarchi suoi simili (!) Giorgio
Patriarca de Maroniti là santità della quale voglia Dio moltiplicare. … Essendo
V.P. essendo (sic) dà longo tempo una stessa cosa con i franchi, essendo che V.P. et i suoi seguitano i Franchi nelle
loro Feste, et altre cose, et i detti Religiosi Franchi havendo sempre gl’occhi
aperti per dar soccorso, e far bene a’ Maroniti specialmente in Aleppo, e posso
con verità dire che tutte a’altre nationi rispettavano là vostra per causa de
detti Religiosi Franchi, i quali tutte quante le riguardavano come discepoli di
Giesù Christo hora come V.P. stà una cosa con loro, come è possibile che Lei
habbi dato fede alle parole di detti Ignoranti, e che Lei dà loro si sia
separata, e che Lei addesso sij il soggetto d’una pace turbata frà tutti I
christiani d’Aleppo…!”
[439]
Cf. Acta, vol. 32, fol. 211v: “Vien
rappresentato dal Procuratore de Carmelitani Scalzi, che nelle parti di Levante
quegli Eretici di Europa, che vi sono, si uniscono in difesa de Cattolici,
fanno loro delle limosine…” The political rivalry separated them but
evangelical charity united them.
[440]
“Il Procuratore delle Missioni de Carmelitani scalzi supplica di ordinare, che
si stampe in questa stamperia il libro delle orationi in Arabo del Patriarca de
Greci di Aleppo, ch’è esaminato, e visto da Abramo Ecchellense.” The rescript
was “Nihil.” (Acta, vol. 33, fol. 198r).
In June 1663 the Latin version of this Arabic Euchologion was already finished
(cf. Acta, vol. 32, fol. 121r).
[441]
This is the second letter that Macarios wrote to Rome after that of September
1661 addressed to Pope Alexander VII (cf., footnote 425). It was written in
Arabic and signed by the Patriarch on December 14, 1663. It is found in SOCG, vol. 240, fol. 44v-45r. An Italian version of this
letter is found in the same volume fol. 42rv. We attempt to give here a French
version, the most literal possible, of which one should excuse the semiticisms.
[442]
The original Arabic adds: “and continues all month long, the through the
centuries and years” which we have omitted for simplicity.
[443]
The original says: “by his strong right hand and preserve their kindness.”
[444]
We find in the original text the Greek word “Apostoloi” written in Arabic:
“Zaim arrousol al-apostolie.” It concerns an intentional repetition to
underline the word “apostle.”
[445]
Letter of Pope Alexander VII of July 22, 1662, perhaps signed also by the
cardinals of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. Cf. footnote
425.
[446]
It concerns the famous Sylvester of S. Aignan who was a missionary in the east
since 1630. Cf. SOCG, vol. 197, fol. 107r-112v.
[447]
This is Fr. John of Lyon who translated the same year (1663) from Latin into
Arabic a resume of the councils from Nicea until Florence and title it: “Kitab
al-Misbah allameh fi targamat il-Magameh.” We find a description of this
manuscript of Deir esh-Shir (Lebanon) in Al-Maçarrat, 1923, p. 736.
[448]
François Picquet arrived in Rome in May 1662 carrying the letter of Macarios
with the 2 Arabic manuscripts of the Euchologion and Horologion. Cf. Acta, vol.
31, fol. 100r-101r.
[449]
We see that there was a great difficulty between the oral message that Macarios
had confided to Picquet and what he let Rome know. In fact the letter of Pope
Alexander VII of July 22, 1662 affirms that Macarios recognized “Ecclesiam
Romanam aliarum omnium Caput et Magistram” (cf. footnote 425.
[450]
Macarios clearly shows his irrevocable intention to reconcile the two Churches,
Eastern and Western. He professes the future union and not the present!
[451]
Macarios found very normal that the priests of the Roman Church could frequent
the Orthodox churches and instruct the Greek faithful. He even found it recommendable
since he waited for it a long time.
[452]
Same expression in Vatican II decree “Unitatis Redintegratio,” No. 18:
“Sacrosanta Synodus sperat fore, ut sublato pariete occidentalem orientalemque Ecclesiam dividente,
unica tandem fiat mansio angulari fermata lapide, Christo Jesu, qui faciet
utraque unum” (cf. Council of Florence, session VI (1439), Definition
“Laetentur Coeli,” in Mansi, vol. 31, col. 1026 E).
[453]
Macarios sees himself integral with the separation of 1054 between Rome and
Constantinople, even if no official bilateral excommunication exists between
Rome and Antioch!
[454]
This is the College of St. Athanasius of Rome, founded in 1576 by Pope Gregory
XIII. Cf. Fr. De Meester, Le Collège Pontifical grec de Rome, Rome 1910. Compare with C. Tsourkas, Les
débuts de l’enseignement philosophique et de la libre pensée dans les Balkans, Thessalonica 1967, p. 21. Z. Tsirpanlis, Le
Collège Grec de Rome et ses élèves
(1576-1700). Contribution à l’étude de la politque educative du
Vatican, Thessalonica 1980. Around 1630 we
find a Greek Melkite from Tripoli, Giovanni Elia, who completed 4 years of
study in this college. But the Greek Melkites of the Patriarchate of Antioch
began to frequent the College of the Congregation for the Propagation of the
Faith in 1640 after the foundation of the School of S. Honophrius. It is
necessary to wait for the year 1743 to examine the question of sending the
Greek Melkites to the Greek College, after it was discovered that they had the
same rite as the Greeks! Cf. SC, Greci
Melchiti, Miscellanea, vol. IV, A. 3, art.
XIV of “Ristretto delli Dubij da esaminarsi nella Congregazione Particolare de
Propaganda Fide deputata dalla Santità di N.S. Papa Benedetto XIV intorno alle
materie de’Greci melchiti.”
[455]
Macarios makes a distinction between the head of the Holy Church who is Christ
and the head of the Roman Church, the pope.
[456]
Successor to Picquet of Aleppo since the end of 1661.
[457]
This is the chalice requested by Carmelite Jerome of St. Therese when he went
to Rome in April 1663 (cf. Acta, vol.
32, fol. 63r-64r).
[458]
The Euchologion and Horologion, See footnote 448.
[459]
The letter bears the traditional signature of the Patriarchs of Antioch, in
imposing Greek letters and difficultly comprehensible.
[460]
In fact this was the vicar of the Carmelites of Aleppo, François of the
Passion, who sent this letter to Rome with another of the Syrian Patriarch
Akhi-John dated March 4, 1664, three others of Syrian Archbishop Behennam dated
April 3, 1664 and the profession of faith of these prelates. Cf. Acta, vol. 33, fol. 203r-205r; SOCG, vol. 240, fol. 38v-53r. Compare with Acta, vol. 34, fol. 3v.
[461]
After Korolevsky (DHGE, III, col. 643),
many have affirmed that Macarios sent his profession of Catholic faith to Rome,
carried by two bishops or two priests (cf. Musset, II, p. 163; F. Taoutel, Contribution
à l’histoire d’Alep, I, Beirut 1958, p. 35;
Nasrallah, Notes et Documents, p.
138). What is excluded definitely is that this delegation of Macarios never
existed. It was Carmelite Father François of the Passion who was charged to
send to Rome the letter of Macarios of December 14, 1663 with those of the
Syrian prelates (SOCG, vol. 240,
fol. 50r and 41v). What remains ambiguous is Macarios’ profession of faith. On
August 2, 1664, Capuchin Sylvester of St. Aignan wrote to M. Gazil, superior of
foreign missions: “Fr. Jerome, Carmelite, sent to Alexander VII to obtain the
confirmation of Andrew, carried a formula of profession of faith to have it
translated into Syriac, Arabic and Armenian, and to have it signed the three
whom you know (i.e. Syrian, Greek and Armenian patriarchs), and that they had
made voluntarily and have constituted Fr. Jerome their procurer to the pope
(rather Fr. François of the Passion).” Cf. Rabbath, I, p. 467. This account
agrees with the “copy of profession of faith” that the Congregation for the
Propagation of the Faith said to have received. But neither the letter of
Macarios nor the four letters of the Syrian prelates mention the existence of
such a profession, while the Syrian Patriarch clearly wrote: “Mando
all’Eminenze Vostre la mia professione di fede, et il giuramento di fedeltà,
insieme con la professione di fede del mio fratello Arcivescovo, quale fecce
nelle mie mani. Et ambidue habbiamo sodisfatto à questi nostri obblighi innanzi
al Santissimo Sacramento in presenza de PP. Missionarij Carmelatani Scalzi, e
Capuccini” (SOCG, vol. 24, fol.
48v-49r). Meanwhile the pro-secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation
of the Faith, Antonio Manfroni, notes on the back of Macarios’ letter: “Lettera
del patriarca de’Greci in Aleppo scrive
d’haver fatta la sua professione della fede, e ne manda Copia.” Thus there are two different things: a letter and
a copy of the profession of faith (cf. Ibid., fol. 46r). All this leads us to say that Macarios
secretly signed the formula carried by Carmelite Jerome at the beginning of
1664. This formula had been prepared in 1633 (cf. Acta, vol. 8, fol. 235v) and signed among others by the
Patriarchs of Constantinople Athanasios Patellaros and Cyril of Berrhea in 1635
(cf. Acta, vol. 10, fol. 347r and
348r).
[462]Acta, vol. 34, fol. 3v; SOCG, vol. 240, fol. 46r: “Monsignor Macario Patriarca de
Greci in Aleppo scrive d’haver fatta la sua Professione delle fede e ne manda
copia. Dà parte de travagli, ne quali si trova insieme con i greci per
l’impositioni e gravezze, che patiscono, e supplica d’esser sovvenuto. Commenda
la pietà del Console Barone per haverli aiutato con le sue carità e finalmente
ringratia del Calice mandatogli dalla S. Congregatione.”
[463]
The letter on which is written the summary of Macarios’ letter bears these
words: “19 Jan. 1665. Ad S. officium Manfronus Prosecretarius” (Ibid., fol. 47v). What corresponds to the rescript of the
Congregation meeting 91 of the same date (Acta, loc. cit.). Korolevsky wrote (DHGE, III, col. 643): “this profession was given back to
the Holy Office: the absolute secrecy which surrounds this Congregation, even
for purely historical matters, does not allow us to know the continuation of
what was given to this approach.” In 1970 we presented on our behalf an
official request to this Congregation. No response was given to us! Perhaps the
not so comprehensible signature of Macarios remains difficult to identify, if
however the profession of faith exists! In 1670 Capuchin Joseph Antoine Romano,
missionary in Georgia, made this request to the Congregation for the
Propagation of the Faith: “che le sia mandato l’originale o copia della
Professione della fede, che il Patriarca d’Antiochia mando anni sono al”EE.VV.
per poter rendere capaci in Principi della Giorgia, e li Vescovi, che non sono
cosi ostianti come gl’Armeni.” The
Congregation meeting of May 30, 1672 wrote this rescript: “Annuerunt” (Acta, vol. 42, fol. 127v-128r). It is certainly a matter
of the ordinary formula imposed on Eastern bishops who unite with Rome. This
text shows that the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith was convinced
that Macarios had made the profession of faith!
[464]
“Arrivo in Roma li giorni passati (November 1666) Monsignor Kacciatur Patriarca
degl’Armeni in Aleppo con un figliolo, due Npoti, et un Perte, che gli serve
d’interprete, e si trattienne à S. Maria Eglittiaca… La cagione della sua
venuta dice esser satat per prestare personalmente obedienza à S. Santità, il
che havena di già fatto l’anno passato con la professione della fede che
trasmise, mà essendosi questa trasmessa al S. Offitio, vi hanno i Qualificatori
notato alcune parole in margine, che pero se gli farà far di nuovo conforme
alla solita formola de I Vescovi Orientali” (Acta, vol. 35, fol. 320rv).
[465]
Cf. P. Pierling, La Russie et le Saint-Siège, IV, Paris 1907, p. 42. Patriarch of Constantinople, Dionysios III,
who feared traveling to Moscow in order not to have the same fate as Parthenios
III who was hung on March 24, 1657, sent Macarios as his representative.
Present also were Ananias, Archbishop of Mount Sinai (cf. De la Croix, Etat
présent des nations, Paris 1695, pp.
120-122) and Paisos Ligarides, Archbishop of Gaza (cf. P. Pierling, op.
cit., pp. 42-48; C. Tsourkas, op.
cit., p. 146; SOCG, vol. 442, fol. 233r;
Arch. Prop., Congr. Part. 1667 etc., vol. 21, fol. 143r-144v). On the subject
of this synod see Rustum, pp. 59-60.
[466]
A letter of Capuchin Charles-Marie de S. Marino, missionary in Georgia,
informed the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in 1665 “che i
Giorgiani osservano il Rito Greco scismatico in lingua Giorgiana, e professano
tutti gl’errori de Greci, riconoscendo per loro superiore immediato il
Patriarca di Antiochia secondo i canoni del Concilio Niceno” (Acta, vol. 34, fol. 250v-251r). Note that the Council of
Nicea did not clarify the area of the territory of Antioch. It was only around
the end of the 5th century that the new ecclesiastical organization,
undertaken under King Vachtang, imposed on the Catholicos of Georgia to receive
his chirotonia (ordination) at Antioch (cf. article “Georgia,” in Enciclopedia
Cattolica, 6 (1951) 65). Besides the
baptisms that he administered to many Georgians, Macarios inspired there a
great sympathy toward the Roman Church. Thus the secretary of the Congregation
for the Propagation of the Faith, Jerome Casanate, referred the matter on
November 28, 1667: “Monsignor Arcivescovo d’Iscanio in Giorgia di Rito Greco,
il quale d’ordine do N. Signore (pope) è trattenuto da alcune settimane in
questo Collegio, hà fatto la Professione Cattolica avanti il Signor Cardinal
Barberino, et io ho havuto ordine d’introdurlo da S. Santità. Dovendo egli
pertanto partire di ritorno in Giorogia, sicome egli desidea di fare quanto
prima, rappresenta all’EE. VV. che per mantenerlo ben’affetto alla Chiesa
Romana e perche possa difendere i Missionarij della S. Congregatione dalla
persecutione de’ Vescovi Scismatici, converrebbe di dargli qualche
dimonstratione, benche’egli non domandi sè non qualche cosa di devotione, et i
seguenti libri per sua instruttione…” (Acta, vol. 36, fol. 245rv). And in 1670 the missionaries
in Georgia hoped: “che quel Regno alla morte d’un certo tiranno Patriarca, che
và ricinoscendo il Patriarca d’Antiochia, sendo del rito Greco, sia per farsi
tutto cattolico. Che pero supplica (Fr. Joseph Antoine Romano) le sia mandato
l’originale o copia della Professione della fede, che il Patriarca d’Antiochia
mando anni sono all’ EE. VV. per poter rendere capaci i Principi della Giorgia, e li Vescovi,
che non sono cosi ostinati come gl’Armeni” (Acta, vol. 43, fol. 127v). Even Capuchin Sylvester of St.
Aignan was convinced that “il Patriarca delli greci è andato in Giorgia ove con
la sua prudentia e zelo catolico và confermando appresso quei popoli il bene
principiato dalli nostri missionarij (= Capuchins)” (SOCG, vol. 240, fol. 59r). Moreover, French Consul of
Aleppo Baron wrote to the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in
1666: “Quello (= Patriarch Macarios III Zaim) dei Greci era andato in Giorgia,
dove havera operato molti beni” (Acta, vol. 35, fol 320v). “The History of the Conversion of the
Georgians to Christianity” (Vat.
Arab. No. 689) written by Macarios on his
return from Georgia in 1669, was published by O. Lebedev (Rome 1905). On the
subject of the travels of Macarios in Georgia see Le Quien, II, col. 774; T.
Jordania, Chronicles (in
Georgian), II, Tiflis 1893, p. 482. Concerning the “catholicizing” influence of Macarios in Georgia, see EO
27 (1928) 77; Musset, II, p. 163; Rustum,
p. 60 where we find the titles used by Macarios of Antioch: “Patriarch of
Antioch, of the Syrian countries and all the Georgian and eastern regions”!
[467]
Cf. P. Pierling, op. cit., pp. 40-48; Arch.
Prop. Congr. Part. 1667 etc… vol. 21, fol.
139v-140v. It is the Nuncio of Poland Pignatelli (future Pope Innocent XII) who
wrote to the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in 1668: “Mi dicono
d’avantaggio i sudetti Ambasciatori (= Stanislas Beniewski and Cyprian
Brestowski, both Polish), che quand’ essi s’abboccaraono con l’accennati
Patriarchi ( = Macarios of Antioch and Paisios of Alexandria) d’esser stati da
medesimi pregati à voler ricavar dal Rè (= John Casimir) qualche dichiaratione
per lettera se voglia esser mediatore presso la Sede d’Apostolica, accio da
essa siano ricevuti all’Unione della Santa Romana Chiesa.” Pignatelli also does
not believe it! (Ibid., fol.
141v). Cf. also Acta, vol. 43,
fol. 315r-317r; Korolevsky, Manuel d’Histoire Russe, Paris, 1948, pp. 161-180.
[468]
The orthodox confession of Moghila, corrected in 1642 by Syrigos, remained
“more than twenty years buried in the archives of the Patriarchate” of
Constantinople and was not seen until 1667 at Amsterdam. It was the famous
Panagiotis who printed it with the signatures of the four eastern patriarchs,
Parthenios of Constantinople, Joannicos of Alexandria, Macarios of Antioch and
Paisios of Jerusalem with the date of March 11, 1643. It was this date that
several authors kept for the signature of the four patriarchs (cf.
Malvy-Viller, La Confession orthodoxe de Pierre Moghila, OC,
10 (1927) p. LXII; Jugie, in his article “Moghila” in DThC; T. Ionesco,
La vie et l’ouevre de Pierre Movila, Paris
1944, p. 173; B. Schultz, article “Moghila” in Enciclopedia cattolica, 8 (1952) 1206-1207; J. Karmiris in ERM, 8 (1966) 1240-1242). Others place the approbation of
Patriarch Macarios on March 13, 1663 (cf. Grumel, EO 27 (1928) 77; H. Zayat, Al-Machreq, 30 (1932) 884; Musset, II, p. 163). We have shown
above that the approbation of Macarios of Antioch could not have taken place in
1643 (cf. above Chapter IV, footnote 340). Moreover, on March 13, 1663 Macarios
did not participate in any synod of Constantinople since he was then in Aleppo
(see footnotes 437 and 441), and no historical witness shows us that a copy of
the Confession of Moghila was given to him to sign! The letter of the
Ambassador of Nointel of September 29, 1671 to the Port Royalists gives some
explanations on the signers of the approbation of this confession. Macarios of
Antioch is not mentioned here; Parthenios of Constantinople is Parthenios the
Younger, raised to the patriarchate in 1644 (cf. Malvy-Viller, op.
cit. pp. LXXVII-LXXVIII) and not Parthenios
the Elder (July 1, 1639- before September 8, 1644); cf. Grumel, Chronolgie, p. 438)! Panagiotis compiled the names of the
eastern patriarchs well known in the west without realizing if they were
contemporary of if they were patriarchs in 1643!
[469]
Cf. The testimony of Jesuit Nau in Rustum (p. 98). In 1670 Capuchin John Baptist
of St. Aignan praised the
patriarch of the Greeks (Acta, vol. 39,
fol. 104v). On August 3, 1671, the account of Carmelite Joseph Ange di Gesu
Maria, missionary in Aleppo, was read at the Congregation for the Propagation
of the Faith: “I Patriarchi delle tre nationi, greca, armena, e maronita, i
quali si stendono in Aleppo sono cattolico. I primi due secretamente ne han fatto la professione; l’ultimo con publicità
la professa” (Acta, vol. 41, fol.
253v). Macarios, with his clergy of Aleppo, was even present at the funeral of
the famous missionary Sylvester of St. Aignan (Ibid., fol. 28rv).
[470]
Cf. Le Quien, II, col. 773 where two anti-Calvinist witnesses of Macarios are
mentioned, from October 20 and December 19, 1671 (citing the book of la
Perpétuité of the Port-Royalists). Aymon (op.
cit., pp. 457-497) cites the orthodox
witness of Macarios of October 20, November 15 and December 5, 1671, by
treating it because of this “ignorant and extravagant.” Rustum (pp. 67-74 gives
the original Arabic text of the two witnesses, written and pointed out by
Macarios on October 20 and November 15, 1671. Cf. also A. Rabbath in Al-Machreq 1907, pp. 766-773 and 795-802.
[471]
Cf. Rustum, p. 74; C. Papadopoulos, Dositheos in Nea Sion 1907, pp.
97- 168. Rustum (pp. 75-96) gives the Arabic version of the confession of faith
of Dositheos. Cf. the Greek text in Kimmel, I, pp. 325-488.
[472]
Cf. Rustum, p. 103. Euthymios II Karmeh and Macarios III Zaim were
metropolitans of Aleppo, Patriarchs of Antioch and victims of their philo-Roman
tendencies. See above Chapter III. The grandson of Macarios, the future
Patriarch Cyril V Zaim (1682-1720), wrote to Pope Clement XI on August 20, 1716
on the subject of the philo-Roman tendencies of his grandfather who wanted to
go to Rome after his return from Russia in 1669 to “establish charity and
peace,” but he feared being considered “Frank” by the Greeks and did not go
(Rustum, pp. 120-123).
[473]
Cf. “Antioch,” DHGE III, col. 643-650; De Vries, pp. 88-91; Rustum, pp.
103-151; Musset, II, pp. 164-181; Nasrallah, S. B. Maximos IV et la
succession apostolique du siege d’Antioche,
Paris 1963, pp. 36-90; compare with: SC, Greci Melchiti, Miscellanea “causa de’Greci Melchiti 1743,” fol. 2v-16v where we find the “serie storica delle
perturbazioni occorse nel Patriarcato Antiocheno de’Greci.”
[474]
Cf. SOCG, vol. 24r and 28v: “Positione
per far tre collegietti” of March 16, 1648. For the foundation of these three
colleges he gives the following reasons: “perche questi giovani ben
addottrinati farebbero più frutto colle loro nationi, che ne fanno li
missionarij forestieri, da quali subito pensano esser ingannati, e con
difficoltà, e con avversione vengono sentiti… Delli giovani in detti
collegietti si potrà far scielta di soggetti di miglior ingegno, e questi
istrutti nella lingua latina mandarli agl’Alunnati del Signor Car. Di S.
Honofrio… Quanto alli collegietti, si potrà far la prova per adesso in 3 città
cioè in Aleppo in Diarbecher et in Aspahan Città grandissime e di popoli
diversi” (cf. also in the same volume, fol. 494r and 503v). The instruction of
the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in the year 1659 reflects the
ideas of Ingoli. Cf. Collectanea,
I, p. 43.
[475]
Besson, p. 72 (cf. the Italian translation of 1662, p. 59). Besson adds to page
157: “of 1000 students we have formed in our school of Damascus and who are
today (in 1660) the flower of Christina youth, not perverted, although the
attacks are strong and the persecutions very violent.” (Compare with the
translation of Anturini, p. 125).
[476]
Cf. above Chapter IV: “Beginning of the Roman crusade.” See especially De
Vries, p. 320. A rich bibliography is found here. Note this perspicacious
consideration of the author: “Sehr bezeichnend ist es, dass die Missionare in
den Schulen, die sie gründeten, auch in den einfachen Elementarschulen, der
Jugend sofort die lateinsche Sprache beibrachten. Das war für sie also ein
notwendiges Mittel, um an das echte Christentum, das lateinische,
heranzukommen.”
[477]
Soon the translation of G. Anturini saw the day. It bears a very long title:
“Soria Santa overo racconto breve di varij avvenimenti curiosi, e pij accaduti
da pochi anni in quà in Soria, specialmente in Aleppo, Damasco, Sidone,
Tripoli, e Monte Libano.” We find several variants here. The Congregation for
the Propagation of the Faith was not current on these publications until the
moment when they received the accusations of other missionaries against the
writings of the Jesuit Fathers who attributed to themselves all the glory of
the conversions in the east. Cf. Congregation meeting of March 14, 1672 and
that of September 23, 1673. Once cannot deny that the Jesuits were particularly
instrumental in the conversion of the Syrians and Armenians of Aleppo (Cf. Acta, vol. 43, fol. 326r-327v). Thus the entire part
concerning the Greeks in the book of Besson remains worthy of faith.
[478]
Sylvester of St. Aignan wrote from Aleppo on May 22, 1651: “gli Patriarchi
delli Syriani et Armeni sono molto ignoranti e vilani. Gli patriarchi delli
greci sono piu litterati, benche tutta la scienza loro consista nel legere e
scriver, son piu cortesi e polliti che tutti gli altri. Quanto al frutto che si
po far tra lorj, dico a S.S. Em.ma che delli greci pochi si convertino, perche
hanno paura delli Vescovi loro lequali subito che sanno che qualch’uno si è
fatto catholico lo minacciano della excommunicata et accusanlo alla giutitia
Turchesca e percio non ardiscono di farsi catholici. Con tutto cio ve ne sono
qualch’uni” (SOCG, vol. 197, fol. 108r).
Two years later, Jesuit Nicolas Poiresson gave an account to Fr. François
Annat, Provincial of the Province of France, in which he wrote: “The Greek
heretics remain. Although in the past more contrary to the Franks, nevertheless
under a metropolitan (metropolitan who succeeded Zaim on November 21, 1647: cf.
Radu, pp. 55 and 63-64) more affectionate who speak of the pope with honor,
without however declaring himself Catholic, there are some converted this year
(= 1652).” Cf. Rabbath, I, p. 56.
[479]
Cf. J. Hajjar, Les Chrétiens Uniates du Proche-Orient, Paris 1962, pp. 222-223; G. Goyau, François
Picquet, Consul de Louis XIV en Alep,
Geuthner 1942. On June 29, 1656, Piquet succeeded to make Akhi-John bishop of
the Syrians of Aleppo by the Maronite patriarch (Rabbath, I, pp. 94-96 and
453-454). Cf. also V. Cerri, Etat present de l’Eglise Romaine dans
toutes les parties du monde, Amsterdam
1716, p. 153.
[480]
On June 11, 1656, Carmelite Joseph of Santa Maria, missionary in Aleppo, wrote
to the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith to manifest the affection
that the Christians of Aleppo had toward his confrere, Fr. Bruno of Sant’Yvone.
Even the Greek metropolitan and his clergy wanted to keep this Carmelite in
Aleppo by affirming: “il Padre Bruno insegnava la purità dell’evangelio alle
sue genti” (SOCG, vol. 197, fol. 149rv).
On this occasion Fr. Joseph made this judgment on the city of Aleppo: “D’Aleppo
accenno in compendio quanto passa, perche quivi è il fior delle missioni per la
varietà, è moltitudine grande de popoli, che vi si trovano, essendo per voce commune
delle prime città di tutta l’Asia senza eccetione veruna” (Ibid., fol. 176r). In this era Aleppo counted more than 15
thousand Greek Melkites. Concerning the discussions between the missionaries
and Greeks there, see Acta, vol
29, fol. 307v-309r. In 1660 the Syrian Archbishop of Aleppo Akhi-John had a
discussion with the clergy of Aleppo on the incarnation. After this discussion
remained “solo due sacerdoti Soriani, due altri Armeni e tutti li Greci, li
quali di accordo confessarono, che l’Arcivescovo havera riportata la vittoria
contro gli heretici, con che dice (Consul Picquet) restar quelle nationi con altro
concetto di quell, che havevano prima della
fede cattolica” (Ibid., fol.
308r); compare with Rabbath I, pp. 453-454. “We recognize here the truthfulness
of the Catholic doctrine on the incarnation and the qadi himself, by an
official piece, established this victory of the archbishop!” (Musset, II, p.
222). Note that the qadi was Muslim.
[481]
Cf. above footnote 413; Rustum, p. 99. The missionaries with Consul Picquet
assisted the Christians of Aleppo very much during the persecutions. The effect
of this evangelical charity was translated by the letters of thanks sent to the
pope and King of France (see above footnotes 415 and 420). Cf. also Arch. Prop.,
Scritture non riferite dal 1622 a tutto 1707, Maroniti, fol. 122rv.
[482]
Cf. above footnotes 426 and 427. In fact Macarios was accompanied by the clergy
of Aleppo and by a “large group of the people” (Rabbath, I, p. 466).
[483]
Cf. above the letter of Macarios to the Congregation for the Propagation of the
Faith of December 14, 1663. Macarios himself knew about it and approved it.
[484]
Letters of November 29, 1663 and February 15, 1663 to the King of France, and
those of September 30, 1661 and December 14, 1663 to Rome. (Cf. Rabbath, I, pp.
473-476; Al-Machreq, 30 (1932), P. 882; EO, 27 (1928), p. 75).
[485]
The missionaries of Aleppo had expressed this recommendation: “to prevent that
he may speak in any public memory of the letters of these patriarch (=Greek and
Armenian) and of their reunion to the Holt See” (Rabbath, I, p. 476.
[486]
Cf. Acta, vol. 31, fol. 152rv; vol. 33,
fol. 198r; vol. 37, fol. 94r-95r. In 1668 the superiors of the missions of
Aleppo, Jesuit Nicolas Poirresson, Capuchin Sylvester of St. Aignan and
Carmelite Anselm of the Annunciation wrote two letters on this subject, one to
the pope and the other to the Cardinals of the Congregation for the Propagation
of the Faith: “Postulamus ad ieusdem fidei tuitionem et amplificatonem non
parum profuturum in primis vero ut typis mandentur incunctanter imperio suo (=
of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith) et sacri senatus cura
precatorii libri duo, Patriarchae Graecorum Antiocheni quos Romam ante plures
annos et misit et excudendos epistola (= that of Pope Alexander VII of July 22,
1662) illinc allata accepit; favet enim ille ipse ac graecus populus
prope universus rei catholicae in dies
magis eoque beneficio Sanctae Sedis obstrictior facta ecclesia graeca, Romanae
eiusque Capiti auscultebit proclivius…” (SOCG, vol. 40, 240, fol. 196r). The second: “Ecclesia
Roamana, qua Divino iure Universalis toto orbe exporrigi debet, reapse ubique
floreat et late dominetur. Aget et ipse quo mandetur executioni gratia
repromissa Graecorum Patriarchae Antiocheno, do excludendo typis uno et altro
volumine ecclesiasticarum precum, ut si necdum opus inchoatum, aut si coeptum
non perfectum usque est, adlaboretur hoc studiosus quod iam quinque anni
(rather six years) current exquibus libri Romam transmissi, pauciores quidem ex
quibus rescriptum illinc est, annuendum petitionis eius, qui primariae
dignitatis inter Patriarchas Orientis, haud parum Sanctae Sedis devotus
Venerationi, non videatur contemnendus quin imo eo pluris faciendus quo amplius
profuturus aut obfuturus ortodoxis in quamcumque partem, aequus aut iniquus
inclinaverti” (Ibid., fol. 190v).
But it was necessary to wait until 1885 for the Arabic Great Euchologion of the
Greek Catholics to appear (Jerusalem 1885). Cf. Nasrallah, Notes et
Documents, pp. 132-135.
[487]
On July 26, 1664, Franciscan Lamberto Benedetto wrote a letter addressed to the
pope: “Non potui Ego celare diutius Sancititatem Vestram, quin me incredibilis
dolor urat, quod Maronita quidam bigamus, supersite altera uxore, eaque thori
consorte, consecratus sit in Sacerdotem, dataque ipsi a Patriarcha suo Missae
coram celebrandae facultas. Sic enim Maronitarum gens, prius venerationi habita
ob catholicae Romanae fidei sinceritatem, iam probro est omnibus plane
nationibus, indeque ab hereticis blasphemandi in Romanam Sedem, quasi
licentiate huiusmodi suffragatricem ansa sumitur, impediturque non mediocriter
tam gravi scandalo fidei propagatio” (SOCG,
vol. 20, 240, fol. 35r; cf. also the letter of the Maronites of Aleppo to pope
on November 24, 1664, Ibid., fol.
110rv). The Greeks told the Latin missionaries: “You are of the same race (Fard
chi) as the Maronites who have repealed the law and who are included among the
Nestorians”! Concerning the Maronites of Roman Rite, see G. Anturini, Soria
Santa, Rome 1662, p. 158.
[488]
In 1671, Carmelite Joseph Ange di Giesù Maria informed the Congregation for the
Propagation of the Faith that at Aleppo the Greek were “per lo più scismatici.”
On April 23, 1672 the Greek Archpriest Michael made his profession of Catholic
faith (Rabbath, I, p. 87).
[489]
Cf. Rabbath, I, p. 402; Besson, p. 72” “These past years we are very old, said
(=before 1659) Jerasimos (=Gerasimos of Furzol, cf. Radu, p. 68), archbishop,
patriarchal vicar (during patriarch’s absence in Moscow: 1652-1659), to take a
new tincture; but instruct our youth who are given into your arms, capable of
all good things and will be a seminary of perfect Christians. Words that he
will say before these same youth, to animate them to use what they possess with
advantage.”
[490]
Cf. DHGE, 16 (1967), col. 64-65; H. De
Barenton, La France catholique en Orient durant les tois derniers
siècle, d’après des documents inédits,
Paris 1902, p. 152; C. Bacha, History of the Greek Melkites (Arabic), I, Saida 1938, pp. 105-106. On the
innovations of Saifi, see P. Bacel, Les innovations liturgiques chez
les Grecs Melchites au XVIII siècle, in EO, 9 (1906) 5-10.
[491]
Rustum, p. 46; Besson, p. 68; SOCG, vol.
187, fol. 346v. Before accession to the patriarchate he was Bishop of Hama (cf.
“Antioche,” in DHGE, col. 643).
[492]
”Che sendo stato in Damasco trovato un Greco à celebrare fù cagione del Vino
(prohibited in Syria since June 1671) ucciso all’Altare con tale spavento de
Sacerdoti che sono ridotti à dire la messa la note dentro i luoghi segreti” (Acta, vol. 42, fol. 42v). Cf. H. Zayat, The
Greek Melkites in Islam (Arabic), Harissa
1953, pp. 75-76.
[493]
Radu, p. 58. Amieu wrote on this occasion: “The patriarch of the Greeks visited
Sayde (= Saida) and was seen with good eyes, and he preached clearly that it is
necessary to love the Roman Catholics as brothers, and not to avoid them: this
made a great change for the Greeks of Seyde” (Rabbath, I, p. 402).
[494]
Jesuit G. Rigault, missionary of Saida, gave this account in 1652: “I must say
some things about the Greeks, who are those who most frequented me. I have
gained them and made friends, not only by caresses and civility with those I
received, but also by the means of mathematical instruments such as globes,
spheres, maps, triangular glasses, of which they are interested. They come to
me ordinarily to see the feast days and Sunday, bringing me also all those who
come again to this city from Beirut, Tripoli and Damascus. I give them
Christian instruction of the duties that most ignore.
The bishop
(= Jeremiah), being sick, appealed to me, witnessed a great confidence I me,
protesting that my faith was theirs and gave me the subject of belief that he
was Catholic in his heart. I did good to assist him with a French chirurgien of
sorts that he would return to good health” (Rabbath, I, pp. 61-62). Besson (p.
160) added in 1660: :This Catholic prelate opened his church and his heart to
us very voluntarily… and testifies well to us of the affection he received,
even in his pulpit, those we bring to him; as if our only affection was a just
approbation.” In 1670 It was know in Rome the Greek Metropolitan of Saida (who
died in 1682) “si professa cattolico, confessando publicamente il Primato della
Chiesa Romana” (Acta, vol. 39, fol.
77v).
[495]
Cf. SOCG, vol. 197, fol. 243rv, 248r,
278rv, s80r-288r. “Detti cappuccini (of Saida) non contenti di osservare dalli
PP. Gesuiti, et Carmelitani Scalzi missionarij similmente deputati da questa S.
Congr.ne, hanno procurato da principio rendersi Parochi assoluti, et
independenti non solo dal Guardiano predetto (of Jerusalem), ma etiamedio da
questa S. Cong.ne e dalla Sede Apostolica con scandalo grandissimo di quelli
orientali…” (Ibid., fol. 297r).
[496]
Cf. Acta, vol. 29, fol. 37r. It concerns
Karam Deham (or Dahhan!) from the city of Beirut “christiano cattolico del rito
Greco” who asked for letters of recommendation for the Grand Duke of Genes and
the Grand Master of Malta, in order to recuperate his goods taken by the
pirates of Livourne and of Malta.
[498]
At the time of his visit to Tripoli in 1648-1649, Macarios exhorted the Greeks
not to avoid the missionaries who should be loved as brothers (Rabbath, I, p.
402). Fr. Amieu went often to Kannoubin “to maintiain the affection of this
prelate” (Ibid., pp. 68-69). Cf. Besson,
pp. 93 and 151. Sometimes the Jesuit fathers preached to the Greeks of Tripoli
but only “in the episcopal courtyard” or in a Maronite chapel hollowed out of a
rock.
[499]
Cf. “Hayat wa ’Amal” (Revue de
l’Ordre Basilien Alépin), 11 (1949) 25-30.
It is true that most of the Greeks were Aleppians, but the presence of the
missionaries in Tripoli was for them a great profit for theological formation.
[500]
Latin Bishop Dovara, designated for Aleppo in 1645, resigned five years later.
The Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith never accepted his
resignation and named no one in his place despite the multitude of candidates
(cf. SOCG, vol. 197, fol. 43r-52r, 90r,
105r, 128r, 146r-159r; Acta, vol. 20, fol. 82r). In 1670, Capuchin John Baptist
of St. Aignan wrote on the subject of the necessity of creating a bishop in
Syria, “attestando che gl’istessi Patrirchi, e Vescovi Scismatici
concepirebbero maggior stima de missionarij, e più facilmente si ridurrebbero
al grembo della Chiesa” (Acta,
vol. 39, fol. 104v-105r). After being informed besides by Picquet, the Congregation for the Propagation of
the Faith was content to respond that the bishop of Baghdad-Babylon could
supply for want of a bishop in Syria (Acta, vol. 41, fol. 26v-27v). In the particular Congregation meetings of
July 19 and August 4, the necessity and usefulness of creating Latin bishops
was discussed, especially throughout the world and among others at Aleppo:
“questa moltiplicatione de Vescovi per ragione dell’Apostolato cioè per
mandarli ne’luoghi, e Paesi del’Erectici, et Infedeli non solo hora non è
superflo, mà necessario, onde percio la Sede Apostolica (of Rome) è solita
quando non vuol far nuova institutione de mandar i Vicarij Apostolici con
carattere Episcopale dandogli il titolo di Chiesa occupata de Scismatici, o
pure affatto estinta…” (cf. Cong. Part. 1667, vol. 21, fol. 215r-224r). It was only in 1762 that a Latin
Apostolic Vicar was found in Aleppo.
[501]
Cf. Acta, vol. 32, fil. 41r-44r;
Rabbath, I, pp. 252-454 and 456. The new Syrian Catholic Patriarch received an
annual stipend from Rome. On December 16, 1664, “il Procuratore delle Missioni
de Carmelitani scalzi supplica di ordinare che se gli paghi anticipata la
provisione di Monsignor Patriarca de Soriani in Aleppo cominciato di Novembre
passato per sovvenirlo ne bisogni, ne quali si ritrova per le persecutioni
patite dagli Heretici tanto maggiormente per esservi l’occasione del Vicario de
Carmelitani Scalzi d’Aleppo (= François of the Passion), che deve in breve
ritornarvi.” The Rescript was: “S. Congregatio annuit” (Acta, vol. 33, fol. 198v).
[502]
“In 1627, Capuchin Sylvester of St. Aignan was sent as a representative to
Paris to collect the sum of twelve thousand ecrus, from which to buy the government of Mount Lebanon,
to form a Christian state and protect the Maronites and those who professed the
religion of the Franks” (J. Hajjar, Les chrétiens Uniates du Proche-Orient, Paris 1962, p. 223; also see pp. 225-226). On
November 17, 1664, Carmelite Jean-Pierre of the Mother of God, vicar of the
discalced Carmelites in Aleppo, asked the Congregation for the Propagation of
the Faith for letter of recommendation to go collect money from the Duchess of
Aiguillon (Acta, vol. 33, fol. 175v).
After a year of collecting they had four thousand ecrus (Acta, vol. 35, fol. 33r).
[503]
“E capitata una lettera di Fr. Lamberto Guardiano de Minori osservanti
d’Aleppo, e commissario di Terra Santa in Soria, nella quale disapprova molto
il propagare, e mantenere la Religione cattolica nel Dominio del Turco nel
modo, ch’essi (= the missionaries of Aleppo) han tenuto, cioè à forze di
denari, e di violenza contro le persone delli stessi heretici, portando seco
questi mezzi grandissimi incommodi, e dando occasione di continue avanie contro
i Christiani. Aggiunge… che li detti Missionarij per far denari sono asttetti à
pigliarli dalli Hebrei à rigorissima usura, che in due o tre anni agguglia il
capitale, e procurano di trovarli in altri modi, li quali saputisi dagli
Heretici facilmente credono che le cose della Religione si trattino per mezzo
di denari… che avanti s’intraprendesse questa strada de Missionarij, benche il
profitto nella conversione dell’anime fosse minore, era pero più sicuro, perche
non havevano alcuna speranza di mercede, o altra cosa.” (Acta, vol. 33, fol. 204rv). One year later (February 22,
1663), the secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith,
Mario Alberici, also disapproved these new methods of the missionaries and the French
Consul, but the French Consuls wanted to quickly see the fruit of their work in
the east and gave a deaf ear to the Congregation for the Propagation of the
Faith!
[504]
Cf. SC, Greci Melchiti,
Miscellanea “Causa de Greci Melchiti 1743,”
fol. 35v-38v; Rustum, pp. 141-142; J. Hajjar, Nouvelle Histoire de
l’Eglise, Paris 1966, p. 247.
[505]
Of course in the missions of the Levant, it is necessary to aspire particularly
to return the bishops to obedience to the Holy See” (Besson, p. 55). Some
French ambassadors in the east thought on the contrary “the question of the
supremacy of the pope by which the missionaries began must be reserved perhaps
for the latter, or at least to be treated with great delicacy” (B. Homsy,
Les capitulations et la protection des chrétiens au Proche-Orient aux XVI, XVII
et XVIII siècles, Harissa 1956, p. 317).
What concerns the new profession of faith imposed on the Greeks and their
latinization, see: Acta, vol. 37,
fol. 5r; Collectanea, I, p. 52;
De Vries, p. 319: “Die lateinischen Ordensleute kamen mit einem starken
Ueberlegensheitsbewussein in den Osten und waren geneigt, bei den Orientalen
überall Irrtümer und Missbräuche zu entdecken. Bei dieser Einstellung ist es
kein Wunder, dass sie einfach ihre lateinische Geistigkeit den Orientalen als
das einzig Richtige aufdrangten.”
[506]
What concerns the attitude of the Greeks of Antioch in comparison with the
activities of the missionaries, we could have from this period the most
eloquent testimony of Patriarch Macarios III Zaim in his letter to the
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith of December 14, 1663 (cf. above
pp. 153-159 our version of this letter).
[507]
“Sacrosancta Synodus omnes quidem, sed praesertim eos exhortatur qui in
instaurationem plenae communionis optatae inter Ecclesias orientales et
Ecclesiam catholicam incumbere intendunt, ut debitam considerationem habeant de
hac peculiari condicione nascentium crescentiumque Ecclesiarum Orientis et de
indole relationum, quae inter eas et Sedem Romanam ante separationem vigebant atque rectam de his omnibus existimationem sibi
efforment. Haec accurate servata ad dialogum intentum summopere conferent” (Unitatis
Redintegratio, No. 14). Although the formal
separation between Rome and Constantinople had been sanctioned since 1054, that
with the Orthodox Church of Antioch was not totally consummated until 1724 (cf.
De Vries, Rom und die Patriarchate des Ostens, Freiburg 1963, pp. 88-89, where we find different
hypotheses on this subject). This is why our study could stand before this
total sorrowful separation.
[508]
Cf. E. Lanne, article “Chiese Orientali cattoliche,” in Dizionario del
Concilio Ecumenico Vaticano II, Rome 1969,
col. 835: “gli Orientali cattolici sono degni dunque d’ogni rispetto, perchè
essi per fedeltà duplice, sia alla comunione romana sia alle avite tradizioni
orientali, hanno avuto da soffrire dell’incomprensione di entrambe le parti:
latini ed Orthodossi. In seno alla comunione romana, la loro situazione rimane
paradossale.” Also see C.J.Dumont, Le future Concile general des
Eglises Orthodoxes: attente et espoirs de l’Eglise catholique-romaine, in Documents “Omnis Terra,” November 1969, pp.
29-37.
[509]
It is sufficient to scan Mansi, vol. 46 and vol. 37 to realize it. Cf. for
example, vol. 46, col. 387-389; 493-508; 915-950; 1181-1184 etc.; Cf. also Collectio
Lacensis, II, 555-557.
[510] Cf. N. Nissiotis, Qu’est-ce qui nous
sépare encore de l’Eglise Catholique romaine? La réponse d’un Orthodoxe, in: Consilium, April 1970, No. 54, pp. 21-30 and particularly p. 29; Fairy von
Lilienfeld, Römisch-katholische und Orthodoxe Kirche nach dem zweiten
Vatikanischen Konzil und “Orientalium Ecclesiarum,” in Materialdienst des
Konfessions-kundlichen Instituts, March/April 1969, pp. 21-27 and particularly
p. 24 where we can read: “Darum macht sich bei römischen Oekumene-Experten die
Tendenz bemerkbar, diese unierten Kirchen, wenn es um das direkte Gespräch
zwischen Rom und Vertretern der Orthodoxie geht, beseitezuschieben.” The author
adds a footnote: “So Z.B. von Roberto Tucci, SJ auf einer Abendveranstaltung in
Uppsala am 9.7.1968.” See also C.J. Dumont, art. cit., p. 33; K. Ware, Primacy, Collegiality,
and the People of God, in Eastern
Churches Review, III (1970) 18-29 and
particularly 27.
[512]Ibid., No. 9. Note that the word “all”
is not found in the text, although in the decree of Florence, “Laetentur
Coeli,” it was inserted with the approval of the Latins (of course with
difficulty). See the chronological evolution of the text of Vatican II in N.
Edelby, Les Eglises Orientales catholiques, Paris 1970, pp. 349-352.
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