Religion in Lebanon

Video Transcript

(Note: This transcript has been edited for readability.)

"In the world, when you say you’re from Lebanon, people think automatically, 'Oh you’re [from] the Arab world, so you’re Muslim,' which is not the case in Lebanon. As I said previously, the president is Christian Maronite. What is Maronite? We are part of the Catholic Church. It’s been running since Maron came to Lebanon from Syria; he started in Syria. And in the year around 600, the Catholic Church saw the importance of the Maronites and how they are growing in Syria and in Lebanon, so they basically cut a deal so the Maronites can be protected in the Middle East, and then the Catholic Church can absorb them. So, the Maronites are part of the Catholic Church. They follow, basically, the Vatican, except for a few things here and there, meaning, for example, the priests can get married."

In this video, a Lebanese national explains who the Maronite Christians are.