Verdeil, C: La mission jésuite du Mont-Liban et de Syrie…
January 11th, 2012
VERDEIL Chantal, La mission jésuite du Mont-Liban et de Syrie (1830-1864)
series:
Paris: Les Indes savantes, 2011
ISBN: 978-2-84654-151-0
C. Verdeil, La mission jésuite du Mont-Liban et de Syrie (1830-1864). Les Indes Savantes, 2011, Paris, 504 pages.
In 1831, the recently restored Society of Jesus, carried by the revival of Catholicism in Europe, sent new missionaries to Ottoman Syria. In accordance with the wishes of the Holy See, the Jesuits strove to strengthen the Eastern Catholic Churches in their struggle against the Protestant missions. After 1850, they also received the support of the French government, which saw in their action a means of expanding French influence in the East.
In Syria, the Jesuits settled in Mount Lebanon, then in Beirut and Sidon. Closely monitored by the Oriental clergy and subjected to the requirements of their patrons (pashas, consuls, emirs), they devoted themselves primarily to teaching and to the spiritual care of the Catholic populations living nearby. By 1860, they had virtually abandoned their apostolate towards the Eastern Christians and Muslims.
In the late nineteenth century, in the Seminary-College of Ghazir established in 1846, however, many senior members of the Eastern Catholic Churches were trained. The establishment of Jesuit institutes for female teachers to educate girls, also helped modify the role of women in Eastern society. Moreover, through their apostolate, the Jesuits encouraged Eastern Catholics to support their clergy, and thus strengthened the Eastern Catholic Churches that were to become, in the twentieth century, genuine political communities.
Submission: VERDEIL Chantal (Author), 11.1.12
