Estephan El Douaihy

Infobox Person
name = Estephan Boutros El Douaihy


image_size = 200px
caption = Patriarch Estephan El Douaihy
birth_date = Aug. 2, 1630
birth_place = Ehden, Lebanon
death_date = May 3, 1704
death_place = Qannoubine, Lebanon
occupation = Patriarch, Professor and Historian
spouse =
parents = Father: Mikhayil Moussa El Douaihy, Mother: Mariam El Douaihy.
children =

Patriarch Estephan Boutros El Douaihy (also Etienne Douaihi, Stefano Douayhy, Istifan Ad Duwayhy, Stephane Al Doueihi _ar. أسطفان الدويهي ) was born in Ehden, Lebanon on August 2, 1630. He was the Patriarch of the Maronite Church from 1670 to 1704. He is considered one of the major Arab Historians of the 17th century and was known as “The Father of Maronite History”, “Pillar of the Maronite Church”, “The Second Chrysostom”, “Splendor of the Maronite Nation”, “The Glory of Lebanon and the Maronites”. He was declared Servant of God by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints under Protocol number 2145 [ [http://newsaints.faithweb.com/year/1704.htm Hagiography Circle] , Last reviewed on 07 November 2007.] . On July 3, 2008, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to draw up a decree on the heroic virtues of Patriarch El Douaihy who will be referred to as Venerable from the moment of publication of the decree [ [http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/22377.php?index=22377&po_date=03.07.2008&lang=en Press release of the Holy See Press Office] , Last reviewed on 13 July 2008.] . This is an important step in the ongoing Beatification process [ [http://www.ecu-lb.com/ptrk/archv.php?subaction=showfull&id=1187675334&archive=&start_from=&ucat=8& Patriarch Estephan El Douaihy Foundation] , Last reviewed on 07 November 2007.] .

Biography

Early life

El Douaihy was born at a time when the Maronites were suffering badly from Ottoman oppression. However, the Ottoman empire was not benefiting from the expansion of world commerce, and so the Ottoman rulers, and the local Muslim and Druze chiefs who ruled with Ottoman consent (something which could be withdrawn) enriched themselves by taxing the Maronite peasantry. At the age of sixteen, recognized as a brilliant young talent, he was sent to the Maronite College (Seminary) in Rome. [Hitti, Philip K. Hitti (2004), "History of Syria, including Lebanon and Palestine", New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2004 reprint of 1951 original, p.675] He studied there for nine years, being cured of a serious condition which almost led to blindness. El Douaihy believed that the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary was responsible for his cure. While in Italy, he traveled as widely as possible seeking manuscripts dealing with Maronite history and liturgy. When he returned to Lebanon at the age of 25, he continued his research.

Expanded description

As bishop, and later as Patriarch, he undertook reforms of the Maronite Church and its monks. Douaihy was elected Patriarch in 1670, when he was only 40 years old. This is universally seen as an acknowledgment of his personal moral qualities, his extraordinary learning, and his keen appreciation of the issues the Maronites faced. He paid particular attention to the traditions of the Maronite Church, and favoured a de-Latinisation of rites and ceremonies. He was hounded - there is no better word - by Ottoman authorities, who resented his principled appeals for justice for the Maronites. In particular, they were frustrated by his resistance to their oppressive taxation policies: policies which saw the abandonment of many villages by peasants unable to pay their taxes. It was also a period when Maronites and, in particular, their clergy, were liable to sudden arrest, assault and murder. The Patriarch was not exempt, being assaulted himself. He was accordingly obliged to move from place to place. Yet, he maintained his writing, and without him, we would be very much poorer in our knowledge of Maronite matters.

Douaihy traveled throughout the Maronite world, including Cyprus and Aleppo, which were even more important centers of the Maronite faith then, although they are still important now. This is partly because Aleppo was at that time a focus for the international overland trade, the only trade where the Ottoman empire had any opening, given the European domination of the sea routes.

Death and afterward

Almost immediately after his death, he was considered by many Maronites of Lebanon, but particularly in North Lebanon and in Zgharta, Ehden to have been a saint. The Congregation of the Causes of Saints issued the decree of nulla osta for his beatification cause on December 5, 1996. The Patriarchate of Antioch of the Maronites proceeded with the diocesan investigation and, at its culmination, submitted the results to congregation, which validated the proceedings with a decree dated on November 8, 2002. The Positio for the beatification cause was published in 2005 and it received the approval of the Historical Commission of the Congregation of the Causes of Saints on January 24, 2006. On July 3, 2008, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to draw up a decree on the heroic virtues of Patriarch El Douaihy who will be referred to as Venerable from the moment of publication of the decree. Some of the miracles attributed to him have been collected by M.S. El Douaihy. [EL Douaihy, Mikhael S. El Douaihy (20074), "Patriarch Estefan El Douaihy", Lebanon? Cultural Committee of Patriarch El Douaihy, 2007, pp.15-6]

Religious, philosophical and/or political views

Douaihy strongly believed in the social importance of education and science (being an amateur scientist himself). Given the importance of learning, and his experience in how far European education exceeded Oriental, he pursued a successful policy of sending as many Maronites to Rome as possible, to become capable of returning to the villages in which the Maronite peasantry lived, and raising the level of general education. Douaihy established a college in Aleppo, which became the base for the development of renewed monastic orders. As with his educational policy, his monastic renewal was a success, and still bears fruit today.

Some of Douaihy's historical theories (e.g. of the perpetual orthodoxy of the Maronites) is controversial. But as a whole, with one or two exceptions, his general account of Maronite history is accepted as trustworthy. It is certainly the most satisfying general account of Maronite realities into the eighteenth century.

Works

Of the many works of Patriarch El Douaihy, the vast bulk are still available only in Arabic. A selection has been translated into French by Youakim Moubarac in "Pentalogie antiochenne/domaine Maronite" [* Moubarac, Y. (1984)- "Pentalogie Antiochienne / Domaine Maronite", Volume 1, Part 1, éditions Cénacle Libanais, Beirut. OCLC|58616233 fr icon] . That selection focusses upon his discussion of the rites and cermonies of the Maronite Church. However, his major work is a general history book, "Tarikh Al Azminah", available in several versions.

Published works

*Duwayhī, I., & Fahd, B. (1976). "Tārīkh al-azminah". Dar Lahd Khatir, Lebanon. OCLC|41272562
*Duwayhī, I., & Tawtal, F. (1951). "Tārīkh al-azminah, 1095-1699". Bayrūt: al-Matbaaah al-Kāthūlīkīyah. OCLC|23523055
*Duwayhī, I., & Hage, L. (1987). "The Syriac model strophes and their poetic meters, by the Maronite Patriarch Stephen Douayhi an introduction, translation, commentary and critical edition". Kaslik, Lebanon: University of the Holy Spirit. OCLC|30610816
*Duwayhī, I., & Shartūnī, R. a.-K. (1980). "Manārat al-aqdās". Rābitat al-Batrīark Istīfān al-Duwayhī al-Thaqāfīyah, Zgharta, Lebanon. OCLC|30043985
*Duwayhī, I., & Fahd, B. (1974). "Kitāb al-sharh al-mukhtassar fī asl al-Mawārinah wa-thabātihim fī al-amānah wa-ṣiyānatihim min kull bidaah wa-kihānah". [Bayrūt] : Butrus Fahd. OCLC|17213148
*Duwayhī, I., & Daww, A. (1973). "Asl al-Mawārinah". Manshūrāt Muaassasat al-Turāth al-Ihdinī, 1. Ihdan, Lebanon: [Muaassasat al-Turāth al-Ihdinī] . OCLC|43236202
*Duwayhī, I., & Hage, L. (1986). "Les strophes-types syriaques et leurs mètres poétiques du patriarche maronite Etienne Douayhi". Bibliothèque de l'Université Saint-Esprit, 13. Kaslik, Liban: Bibliothèque de l'Université Saint-Esprit. OCLC|31052160
*Duwayhī, I., & Shartūnī, R. a.-K. (1890). "Tārīkh al-tāifah al-Mārūnīyah". Bayrūt: al-Matbaah al-Kāthūlīkīyah. OCLC|25520233
*Duwayhī, I., & Fahd, B. (1974). "Liber brevis explicationis de Maronitarum origine eorumque perpetua orthodoxia et salute ab omni haeresi et superstitione". S.l: s.n.] . OCLC|37682271

Notes

References

*Jumayyil, N., & Duwayhī, I. (1991). "al-Batrīyark Istifānūs al-Duwayhī hayātuhu wa-muaallafātuhu". Bayrūt: N. al-Jumayyil. OCLC|33498319
*Shiblī, B. (1970). "Tarjamat abīnā al-maghbūt Istifānūs Butrus al-Duwayhī batriyark Antākyah, 1630-1704". Jūniyah, Lubnān: [al-Hikmah] . OCLC|32291094
*Hārūn, J. (1981). "Istifān al-Duwayhī". Beirut: s.n.] . OCLC|17765474
*Nūjaym, T. F. (1990). "La maronité chez Estéfān Dūwayhī". Kaslik, Liban: Université Saint-Esprit. OCLC|40527178
*Maroun, S.-G. (1988). "Stephan Ad-Doueihy a Maronite splendor". Washington, D.C. OCLC|61104374

ee also

External links

* [http://www.douaihy.org The official site of El Douaihy Clan]

Persondata
NAME= Estephan El Douaihy
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Estephane El Doueihi, Stephen El Duwayhi, Estephan Boutros El Douaihy
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Maronite Patriarch, Historian
DATE OF BIRTH=Aug. 2, 1630
PLACE OF BIRTH=Ehden, Lebanon
DATE OF DEATH=May 3, 1704
PLACE OF DEATH=Qannoubine, Lebanon