Patriarch Toubia El-Khazen (1756 - 1766)

In the meantime Patriarch Simon Awad had died on February 12, 1756 and was succeeded by Toubia El-Khazen. The new patriarch established his residence in Kesserwan. He was desirous to implement the decrees of the Synod of 1736. To that end he called for a synod to be held at the Monastery of St. Anthony of Beqata in Kesserwan in 1756. The Synod tried to bring about the division of the eparchies as decreed by the Synod of 1736.

Patriarch Toubia El-Khazen was neither an adversary nor a close follower of Hindiyeh, whose reputation had increased and whose work was growing. The theological and spiritual doctrines of which she had spoken of had gained for her popular esteem. They wondered how her knowledge could be purely human when she could hardly read Arabic. The truths she enunciated were considered by the public as affirmations of divine knowledge. According to Bishop Dib, in reality, the doctrines that Hindiyeh propagated were nothing original. They were simply an amalgam of ideas taken from various works in dogmatic and moral theology, expressed in Arabic by some students from Rome.

The convent of Hindiyeh became a site for pilgrimage. In 1759 and 1768 Pope Clement XIII accorded indulgences to the visitors of Bkerké. (It seems that Rome had forgotten the condemnation it had made some years before.)

Patriarch Joseph Estephan (1766 - ?)

Patriarch Toubia El-Khazen died on May 29, 1766 and was succeeded by Joseph Estephan. The new patriarch made his residence in Ghosta. An ardent promoter of ecclesiastical discipline, Patriarch Estephan was desirous to apply the reforms of the Synod of 1736. With papal approval, he called for a synod to assemble in Ghosta in 1768. The Congregation of the Propaganda approved the text of the synod on September 4, 1769.

To ensure that the clergy be properly trained, and in spite of great difficulties, Patriarch Estephan established a national seminary at the Monastery of Ain Warqa. This seminary gained a great reputation as a center of learning. It produced a large number of patriarchs, bishops and priests.

Patriarch Estephan was also interested in the temporal interests of his people. In 1771, he named the Cure of Notre Dame of Versailles, Abbe Allard, as his representative to the King of France "in order to execute our commissions and those of our Patriarchal See of Antioch, which is placed under the protection of our great king, the most Christian King of France and Navarre." He also petitioned from King Louis XVI that the well-known Maronite Sheik Ghandour Said El-Khoury, be consul of France to Beirut. El-Khoury had been secretary of the Emir of Mount Lebanon, Joseph Shehab. In 1787, El-Khoury was named consul of France to Beirut.

Patriarch Estephan's policies did cause some opposition from some bishops and monasteries. They complained first to the Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith, and later to the Pope himself. Joining in the opposition were some members of El-Khazen family. The Pope asked the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith to make an investigation.

Those opposed to the Patriarch used the controversy surrounding Hindiyeh as a weapon against him.

The Congregation of the Sacred Heart, under the auspices of the Patriarch, had risen anew. The Patriarch was an ardent apostle of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He had made the Feast of the Sacred Heart a holy day of obligation in the Patriarchate, and ordered that it be celebrated with as much solemnity as Easter and the Ascension. In addition to approving the Congregation at Bkerké, he aggregated three other religious communities to it.

As Hindiyeh increased in reputation, so did the rumors against her. Among those opposed to her were her brother, a Jesuit, Nicholas Ahami, who had been a spiritual director and treasurer of her convent. When he was discharged, he became a violent opponent, but later retracted his position and became a defender. The accusations against the convent were also made against the Patriarch. So many complaints were sent to the Holy See that it sent two pontifical missions to investigate. Both sided with the opposition. The second legate made extreme charges against the Patriarch. On June 25, 1779, the Pope suspended the Patriarch from the powers of orders and jurisdiction, except those of priest. A Patriarchal administrator was named to handle the affairs of the Patriarchate. Bishop Dib observes that the responsibility for this decision falls heavily on the erroneous information provided by the two Roman representatives.

Rome declared Hindiyeh a victim of illusions, condemned her to retract her pretended revelations and disavow her doctrines, which were characterized as false, temerarious and touching on heresy. She was relegated to another convent, and the Congregation and Confraternity of the Sacred Heart were definitively suppressed. Hindiyeh transferred to the convent of Saidat el-Haglah, ended her days in quiet and penance, and died on February 13, 1798.

Patriarch Estephan, despite serious illness, decided to go to Rome to defend himself. However, by the time he reached the port of Jaffa, he was too ill to travel further. After being moved to Mt. Carmel, he sent representatives to the Holy See with the documents necessary for his rehabilitation. He also wrote to King Louis XVI.

In the meantime, the Patriarchal administrator, Michel El-Khazen, following the advice of the papal legate, called a synod at the monastery of Mayfouq for July 21, 1780. Five sessions were held at which the legate presided. All the decrees issued by Rome to the Maronites during the patriarchate of Joseph Estephan were solemnly promulgated.

The Holy See delayed in deciding on the rehabilitation of Patriarch Estephan, and pursued further investigation of the case. Finally, Fr. Joseph Tian, later Patriarch, was delegated by the Patriarch, bishops and clergy to represent the Maronite cause. On September 21, 1784 the congregation pronounced a definitive verdict in favor of the Patriarch.

It is difficult to evaluate the Hindiyeh controversy. It pre-occupied three different patriarchs, a number of papal representatives and often the Holy See itself. The Jesuits and certain opponents of Patriarch Estephan chose to consider her as dangerous and suspect. Her charismatic spirituality and her strong will appealed to a large number of the ordinary people, and even the Emirs of Mount Lebanon defended her. Some observers have even seen her as a symbol of national identity in opposition to the self-interest of foreigners. She still remains a mystery to historians. Some have found her teachings to be unoriginal. Others are amazed at how a person who some have considered illiterate could be said to have produced fifteen volumes of meditations, exhortations, spiritual dialogues, hymns, prayers and mystical experiences.

Patriarch Estephan convoked a Synod at Ain-Shaqiq on September 6-11, 1786; however, its acts were not approved by the Pope. Pope Pius VI ordered the holding of a new Synod under the presidency of Germanos Adam, Melkite Metropolitan of Aleppo, who was designated apostolic legate. The synod met on December 3-18, 1790 at the Monastery of Bkerké. It had as its principal purpose to provide for the application of the Synod of 1736 and pontifical instructions to the Maronites. At the ninth session, the bishops decreed the transfer of the Patriarchal See to the Monastery of Bkerké. The acts of the assembly were confirmed in part by the Holy See.