Melkites. It is the only one that has been approved at Rome, that has real force of law. It was opened on December 1, 1835. At the opening only two bishops,[1] besides the Patriarch, were present. Aleppo sent a procurator, Ba'albek did not appear;[2] the Metropolitans of Tyre, Acre, and Zaḥleh were dead. Maximos ordained a bishop for Tyre at the opening of the synod. Twenty-five canons were drawn up, concerning the administration of sacraments, the rite, offerings to churches, holidays of obligation, life and manners of clerks, regulars, the seminary of 'Ain Trāz, canonical visitations, care of the poor, fast and abstinence, vows and pilgrimages, usury.[3] All bishops present signed, and Maximos added the signature of the Metropolitan of Ba'albek, though he was not there.
There was a quarrel about the precedence of Aleppo and Tyre, each of these sees claiming to be the Protothrone — that is, first See of the Patriarchate.[4] The question of the Gregorian Calendar was discussed, but put aside for the present.
When the acts of the synod were sent to Rome, at first Propaganda was much annoyed because Maximos had held it before he had received the pallium. This is a violation of Canon Law. He had performed other Patriarchal acts before he had the pallium. It seems clear that he was acting on his Febronian theory that synods may be held without the intervention of the Pope. However, he had received the pallium meanwhile, so, after a good deal of discussion, at last the acts of 'Ain Trāz were formally approved by Propaganda in 1841.
Meanwhile Maximos obtained leave of the Government and came to Damascus. It was the first time a Melkite Patriarch had done so since Cyril VI fled to the Lebanon (p. 200). Then he made a journey in the Haurān[5] and ordained a bishop for that district. There were very few Melkites in it; afterwards his enemies said that he did this only to increase the number of his adherents by ordaining useless bishops. There are other cases in which the same was said of him. He
- ↑ Agapios Rī'āshī of Beirut and Basil Kaḥīl of Sidon.
- ↑ Athanasius 'Ubaid of Ba'albek was then quarrelling with his Patriarch.
- ↑ The acts of 'Ain Trāz are in the "Collectio Lacensis," ii, cols. 579-592.
- ↑ For this dispute see Charon, op. cit., ii, pp. 115 and 243.
- ↑ The Haurān is the wild desert land south of Damascus (Basan in the Old Test.). Its chief town is Boṣrā. It is inhabited by Moslem Badawiin and Druges. There are few Orthodox Christians there, and still fewer Melkites.
