The Ain Traz Seminary of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, located southeast of

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

, has served various roles during its 200-year history.

History

The village of Ain Traz was home to the Maronite Saad clan, members of whom where French Consuls in Beirut during the mid-eighteenth century. The seminary was founded in 1811 by Melkite Patriarch

Agapius II Matar Agapius II Matar, (sometime also known as ''Agapios III'', 1736–1812) was Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1796 to 1812. Life Agapius Matar was born in 1736 in Damascus. He entered young in the Basilian Salvatorian Order. ...

. After having been looted by the Druze in 1841 and in 1845, it was re-opened in 1870. After the foundation of the Melkite Seminary of St. Anne at Jerusalem, Ain Traz was no longer used as a seminary. Instead, it was then used for late vocations and for married men preparing for the priesthood. It also served as a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

and as summer residence for the Melkite patriarch. Starting in 1948 it was also used by Patriarch Maximos IV for the annual meetings of the Melkite Synod of Bishops. became yearly events. Throughout its history the facility hosted several important Melkite councils, such as the legislative synod convened in 1909 by Patriarch

Cyril VIII Jaha Cyril VIII Geha (or ''Jeha''), (November 26, 1840 – January 11, 1916) was patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 1902 until 1916. He was the last Melkite Catholic patriarch of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman era. Life Geha was bo ...

.Descy (1993), p. 66 In 1983, during the violence following the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...

, Ain Traz was looted and burned, resulting in the loss of much of the patriarchal library and archives. The new patriarchal summer residence in

Rabweh Rabieh () is a suburban area on the northern edge of Greater Beirut, Lebanon, about 13 kilometers driving distance from Beirut. It is located in the foothills of Mount Lebanon, on the road to Bikfaya. Rabieh saw its population increase sharply ...

, completed in 1977, replaced Ain Traz. However, Ain Traz has been restored and is once again used for synods.

Notes

References

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External links

Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem

Melkite Catholic Web Ring

1811 establishments Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Lebanon {{EasternCatholic-church-stub