The Patriarchal Synod provides help for the Synod of the Maronite Church bishops in matters of great importance, in order to bring harmony between the aspects and methods of the mission and the ecclesiastic system on one hand and the latest developments of time and common good in the Maronite Church on the other while taking into consideration the common good on each spot of the Earth where multiple churches co-exist in a “sui juris” fashion.

Article 3: Calling the Patriarchal Synod to convention

The Patriarch calls the Patriarchal Synod to convention at least every five years and whenever he deems it necessary, and with the consent of the Synod of the Maronite Church bishops.

Chapter II: the participants in the Patriarchal Synod

Article 4: The participants in the Patriarchal Synod.

Participants in the Patriarchal Synod are divided into two basic categories: the first which includes the members and observers and the second which includes the General Secretariat and the affiliated teams.

Article 5: The first category of participants

Participants in the first category are divided into members who should be invited: the rightful claimants appointed by their superiors, and members who might be invited: the Catholic invitees and the observers from other Churches and confessions.

Article 6: 1^st: The rightful claimants

They participate by expressing their opinions and they are entitled to vote on the Synod texts. Furthermore, they are obliged to attend unless a valid reason keeps them away and they must inform the Patriarch. The diocesan bishops can, with the approval of the Patriarch, send a deputy to represent them. They are:

The Patriarch.
The diocesan bishops.
The honorary bishops.
The superior generals of the congregations.
The superior generals of the women congregations.
The deans of the ecclesiastic universities.
The deans of theology and canonic law schools located in Lebanon.
The presidents of the great seminaries.

Article 7: 2^nd: Appointed members

They participate by expressing their opinions and they are entitled to vote on the Synod texts. Furthermore, they are obliged to attend unless a valid reason keep them away and they must inform the Patriarch. They are:

The invitees of the Patriarch.
A priest from each diocese appointed by the bishop.
A priest or a nun from each diocese appointed by the bishop and approved by the superior general or the superior general of the women’s congregation.
Two laity from each diocese appointed by the bishop.
The president and members of the central committee along with the assistant secretaries.

Article 8:3^rd: the catholic invitees

They participate by expressing their opinions without the right to vote on the Synod texts. They are:

The Apostolic Delegate in Lebanon.
The commission of experts.
The information committee.
A deputy of each oriental Catholic Church.
A deputy of the Council of the superior generals of monks’ congregation.
A deputy of the Council of the superior generals of nuns’ congregation.

Article 9: 4^th: Observers from non-Catholic Churches and ecclesiastical groups

They participate by expressing their opinions, but they are not entitled to vote on the Synod texts. They are:

A deputy of each Orthodox Church in Lebanon.
A deputy of the Higher Synod of the Evangelical Confession in Lebanon and Syria.

Article 10: 5^th: Observers from Islamic Confessions

They participate by expressing their opinions but they are not entitled to vote on the Synod texts. They are: a representative of each Islamic confession (the Sunnites, the Shiites and the Druze) in the National Committee of the Islamic-Christian dialogue.

Article 11: The second category of participants

The second category includes members of the General Secretariat and some affiliated teams. It is divided into two sections: the participants and the non-participants.

Article 12: 1^st: The participants.

The central committee. They all belong to the first category and participate in the Patriarchal Synod as appointed members.
The General Secretariat, formed by the Secretary General and the assistant secretaries. They all belong to the first category and participate in the Patriarchal Synod as appointed members.
The coordinators of the five files. They all belong to the first category and participate in the Patriarchal Synod as rightful claimants.
The commission of experts who form 23 committees, each in charge of one text. They assume the responsibility of drafting the Synod texts. They all belong to the first category and participate in the Patriarchal Synod as Catholic invitees.
The information committee. They also belong to the first category and participate in the Patriarchal Synod as Catholic invitees.

Article 13: The non-participants

The members belonging to this category participate in the sessions, only through their function and within their authority. They are:

The members of the administrative secretariat and the executive secretariat, who will provide the necessary services inside the hall.
The work committees, some of them are members of the Patriarchal Synod. They are:
- The committee of prayers and liturgical celebrations.
- The translators divided into two sections: The instantaneous translations and texts translators.
- The media personnel accredited to the General Secretariat, in order to cover the works of the Patriarchal Synod.

Chapter III: Preparation of the Patriarchal Synod

Article 14: Stages of preparation

1. The preliminary period: (March 1986-May1988). A committee was formed to prepare a pastoral deliberation for the sake of the Synod process. The committee delivered the result of the deliberation in 10 volumes. (1173 pages).

2. The preparatory period: (June 1988-June 2002)

· The bishops Synod formed a Synod committee to study the convenient circumstances and pave the way to a global Maronite Synod in order to review the ecclesiastical affairs.

· The committee drafted a general design for the Synod texts and sorted them out in five files. It also prepared the work methodology to be adopted, chose experts as text authors and asked for deputies from all dioceses to follow up the work.

· The Synod of the Maronite bishops approved the topics raised in the files that should be studied in the Patriarchal Synod.

· The committee sent the first draft of each file to the bishops and to the superior generals of the congregations in order to make their remarks, in light of which, the committee prepared a second draft.

3. The organization period of the Patriarchal Synod.

· Early September- late December 2002: the committee sends the five files (as first drafts) to the rightful claimants in the Patriarchal Synod to make their remarks to the General Secretariat before late February 2003.

· January-March 2003: in light of the remarks sent to the General Secretariat, the experts' commission endeavors to rewrite the final draft.

· Early April-May 16 2003: the General Secretariat sends the Synod texts to the participants in the Patriarchal Synod and requests from them to submit their remarks write their interventions and deliver them to the General Secretariat.

· The Patriarch appoints the Secretary General, the assistant secretaries and the central committee members. These later appoint the members of the Patriarchal Synod committees and write down a list of the invitees.

· The central committee appoints the files coordinators and the experts' commission members.

· The central committee and the General Secretariat set up the guide, the methodology and the agenda of the Patriarchal Synod. Then, they present them to the Synod of the Maronite Church bishops for approval and ratification.

· In a pastoral letter calling the believers to pray for its success, the Patriarch declares officially the opening of the Patriarchal Synod.

SECTION II

Locations and Services

Title of the chapter	Number of articles
Chapter I: Location of the Patriarchal Synod	15 - 17
Chapter II: Halls and offices of services	18 - 26

Chapter I: Location of the Patriarchal Synod

Article 15: Location of the opening and closing of the Patriarchal Synod

The Patriarchal Synod opens and concludes its sessions in the church of the patriarchal Seat in Bkerke.

Article 16: Location of the Synod works

The works of the Patriarchal Synod take place in “La Maison du Mont” Monastery, Fatka.

Article 17: The Synod hall

The Synod hall is located in the lower floor beneath the church.

The hall opens every day half an hour prior to the first session and closes at night following the evening session.
Next to the presidential tribune, a pulpit is placed for the Holy Bible.
A special pulpit, equipped with a microphone and two seats is reserved for the interventions: the first seat is for the speaker while the other is for the following on the list of speakers. Upon hearing his name, every person must approach the pulpit and wait for his turn.
A headset for the instantaneous translation is available for the attendant who would like to have one.

Chapter II: The halls and offices of services

Article 18: The offices of the General Secretariat

The offices of the General Secretariat are facing the Patriarchal Synod hall and are divided into five rooms: the typesetting room, the translation room, the printing and photography room, the room of receiving requests, interventions and lost belongings and the room of the assistants.

Article 19: the church, the chapel and the sacristy

1. The church, the chapel and the sacristy are located in the ground floor to the left of the main entrance.

2. The church is used for the daily joint mass held in Arabic and for the liturgical celebrations.

3. A nun takes care of the church and the held ceremonies. Therefore, she prepares all the requirements of the mass and ceremonies including vestments and books.

Article 20: The reception area

Two reception areas are located in the ground floor and they are put at the disposal of the Patriarchal Synod members.

Article 21: The dining room and the reception area

1. A dining room is located in the ground floor. It is used by the monastery residents during breakfast, lunch and dinner.

2. A reception area is located in the lower floor and adjacent to the entrance of the Patriarchal Synod hall. It is used during the determined breaks to drink coffee and beverages for free.

Article 22: The room of general services

The room of general services is located in the ground floor to the right of the main entrance. It contains many offices that facilitate the conveners' sojourn and material needs. The room includes:

The telephone and post office: the post office is at the participants' disposal. During the Patriarchal Synod, everyone can send messages, faxes, and e-mails and make phone calls. The user must afford all charges.
The travel office: opens for specified periods of time and helps the participants to confirm their reservations and travel procedures.

Article 23: The library and photography hall

In the lower floor and adjacent to the reception area, is located a hall where religious books are displayed and sold.
In that same hall, the accredited photographer exhibits the photos taken during the Patriarchal Synod sessions. Participants can purchase the photos directly from the office personnel.

Article 24: The rooms of news agencies and studios

In the ground floor and adjacent to the dining room, is located a room reserved for the press and news agencies.
A small studio is located in the ground floor and reserved for "Voix de la Charité" radio station and "Télé Lumière" television in order to facilitate their tasks of covering the interviews held with the participants.

Article 25: First Aid

A health department is located in the first floor within the nuns' compartment. It includes all first aid gear and is supervised by a nurse nun. When necessary, participants can benefit from the services offered by this department.

Article 26: The Mailboxes

1. A center for distributing documents is located in the lower floor adjacent to the entrance of the Synod hall. It consists of mailboxes for the participants’ use and arranged in alphabetical order.

2. The Secretary General and the assistant secretaries are the only ones entitled to place in these mailboxes the outgoing documents, the incoming letters, books, pamphlets, data and all materials useful to the participants.

3. No one is entitled to place in these mailboxes any materials, such as books, documents and publicity pamphlets unless the Secretary General and the assistant secretary for organizational and administrative affairs authorize it.

4. Every morning, the newspapers articles relating the Patriarchal Synod events will be distributed over all the mailboxes.

SECTION III

The People and the Functions

Title of the chapter	Number of articles
Chapter I: the structure of the Patriarchal Synod	27 – 30
Chapter II: the Synod president, vice president and the central committee	31 - 34
Chapter III: the office of the General Secretariat	35 – 42
Chapter IV: the General Secretariat working sectors	43 – 51
Chapter V: the General Secretariat working committees	52 - 58

Chapter I: The structure of the Patriarchal Synod

Article 27: Distribution of the Synod functions

The functions and responsibilities of the Patriarchal Synod are distributed over the largest possible number of participants.

Article 28: The administrative structure of the Patriarchal Synod

The administrative structure of the Patriarchal Synod includes:

The Patriarch; the president of the Patriarchal Synod
The vice president of the Patriarchal Synod.
The Central Committee headed by the Secretary General.
The General Secretariat formed by the Secretary General as president and the assistant secretaries for organizational and administrative affairs along with the assistant secretaries for synod and executive affairs as members.

Article 29: The working sectors of the organizational and administrative affairs

The assistant secretary for the organizational and administrative affairs takes care of three working sectors:

The administrative secretariat formed by personnel in charge of typesetting, copying and distributing texts to the participants in the Patriarchal Synod along with the personnel in charge of the web site.
The media, which includes the "Voix de la charité" radio station, " Télé Lumière " television and the accredited media personnel.
Logistics teams, which include the personnel in the post and telephone office, the offices of photography, instantaneous translation and travel, and personnel in the library, the sound editing department, the reception area, the sacristy, the dining room, the first aid department and the emergency room.

Article 30: The working sectors of the synod and executive affairs

The assistant secretary for the synod and executive affairs takes care of three working sectors:

The executive secretariat, which include the personnel in charge of typesetting and translating the synod texts.
The texts committees, which include the coordinators of the five files and the experts' commission.
The working committees inside the Synod, which include the information committee, the counting of votes committee, the prayers and liturgical celebrations committee and the final statement committee.

Chapter II: the President of the Patriarchal Synod,

the Vice President and the Central Committee

Article 31: The Patriarch

Sends invitations for the bishops, the superior generals of priests and nuns of the congregations to attend the Synod at least six months in advance. As for the remaining members and observers, they are invited by the Secretary General.
Signs all official procedures related to the Patriarchal Synod.
Appoints the Vice President, the Secretary General, the assistant secretaries and the Central Committee members.
Approves the appointment of the working committees members, based on the suggestion of the Secretary General and the assistant secretaries.
Approves the appointment of the coordinators of the five files and the experts' commission members, based on the suggestion of the Central Committee
Approves the appointment of the members who will take part in the daily press conferences, based on the suggestion of the head of the information committee.
Presides the Patriarchal Synod sessions. He is also entitled to postpone it, extend it, stop it or even dissolve it.
Opens and concludes the sessions with prayers. He welcomes the audience at the beginning of the session and calls the Secretary General to give the appropriate working instructions. Furthermore, he asks the session coordinator to run the session according to the agenda previously prepared by the Secretary General and the assistant secretaries.
Looks into the participants' complaints and appoints, if necessary, a committee to look into them.
When the Patriarchal See is vacant, the Patriarchal Synod is suspended according to the regulations until the new Patriarch makes the appropriate decision.

Article 32: The Vice President of the Patriarchal Synod

Prior to the convention of the Patriarchal Synod, the Patriarch appoints a Vice President who presides the sessions in his absence.

Article 33: The Central Committee

1. The Patriarch appoints the Central Committee members including the Secretary General.

2. Presided by the Secretary General, this committee endeavors to organize the Patriarchal Synod and follow up its works.

3. Supervises the texts drafting and approves the Patriarchal Synod guide.

4. Appoints the coordinators, the members of the experts' commission and the members of the counting of votes committee.

5. Appoints a financial committee to handle the Patriarchal Synod incomes and expenses and suggests the formation of multiple committees to follow up the execution of the Patriarchal Synod works according to the recommendations and the most persistent cases.

6. In the last days of the Patriarchal Synod, the committee convenes to prepare a list of the committees to be established.

7. Determines the tasks of each follow up committee, the number of members and the way of work.

Article 34: The financial committee

1. The financial committee is formed at least of three members.

2. The most important tasks including inter alias are:

· To gather donations and financial duties from the members of the Patriarchal Synod and others.

· To make a budget for the Synod before, during and after its convention.

· To submit a financial report following each stage, to the Central Committee in order to ratify it.

· To disburse the amounts of money to be paid.

· To handle all the banking procedures relating to the Synod.

3. The committee cooperates with the General Secretariat and coordinates with its

members for the best of the Synod.

Chapter III: The General Secretariat

Article 35: The General Secretariat

The General Secretariat includes the Secretary General as head, the assistant secretary for organizational and administrative affairs and the assistant secretary for synod and executive affairs as members.

Article 36: 1^st: The Secretary General

Is appointed by the Patriarch six months prior to the Patriarchal Synod.
As soon as he is appointed, he presides over the meetings of the Central Committee and the General Secretariat.
Cooperates with the assistant secretaries to guarantee a good process of the Patriarchal Synod and supervises, within his authority, all stages of the work.
At the beginning of the Patriarchal Synod, he presents the topic and the headlines of the Synod, which are mentioned in the Synod texts.
The Secretary General and the assistant secretaries supervise the correction of the Synod texts according to the proposed modifications. Then, they deliver the texts to the General Assembly after the approval of the Central Committee.

Article 37: 2^nd: The tasks of the Secretary General before the Patriarchal Synod

Presides over the Central Committee meetings and calls, when necessary, to convention.
Presides over the meetings of the General Secretariat and calls, when necessary, to convention.
Delivers to the Patriarch, a list containing the names of the five files coordinators and the members of the experts' commission in order to approve it.
Appoints with the assistant secretaries the personnel of the different General Secretariat working sectors.

Article 38:3^rd: The tasks of the Secretary General during the Patriarchal Synod

Presides over the General Secretariat meetings in order to guarantee a good process of the Patriarchal Synod and coordinate with the assistant secretaries each in his duties.
Convenes with the sessions coordinators to prepare the Synod sessions.
Presents, at the beginning of the Patriarchal Synod, a full report concerning the preparatory stages, the purposes and goals of the Patriarchal Synod.
Reads, at the beginning of each session, the necessary instructions and determines the agenda.
Announces, at the beginning of each session, a list of the delegates asking for the floor.
Announces, if any, the voting results.
Signs the minutes of meeting and the press statements with the head of the information committee.

Article 39: 4^th: The tasks of the Secretary General after the Patriarchal Synod

Follows up the results of the Patriarchal Synod and endeavors, with the cooperation of the Central Committee, to implement its decisions.
Facilitates the work of the follow up committees that might emanate from the Patriarchal Synod.

Article 40: 5^th: Ending the tasks of the Secretary General, the General Secretariat and the Central Committee

After the Patriarchal Synod has concluded all the works, the Patriarch is entitled to put an end to the tasks of the Secretary General, the General Secretariat and the Central Committee. Moreover, he is entitled to replace, if necessary, these two departments with a follow up committee.

Article 41: The assistant secretary for administrative and organizational affairs

1. Six months prior to the Patriarchal Synod, the Patriarch appoints one person or more as Assistant secretary for administrative and organizational affairs.

2. As soon as he is appointed, the Assistant secretary for administrative and organizational affairs participates in the Central Committee meetings, of which he becomes a member.

3. Participates in the General Secretariat meetings held, when necessary, by the Secretary General to discuss organizational matters.

4. Cooperates with the Secretary General to guarantee a good process of the Patriarchal Synod and assists him in supervising all the work stages within his authority.

5. Supervises three working sectors: the administrative secretariat, the information and logistics teams.

6. Appoints, with the approval of the Secretary General, a person in charge for each working sector, within his authority, and convenes with them during the Patriarchal Synod on a daily basis.

Article 42: The Assistant secretary for synod and executive affairs

1. Six months prior to the Patriarchal Synod, the Patriarch appoints one person or more as Assistant secretary for synod and executive affairs.

2. As soon as he is appointed, the Assistant secretary for synod and executive affairs participates in the Central Committee meetings, of which he becomes a member.

3. Participates in the General Secretariat meetings held, when necessary, by the Secretary General for organizational purposes.

4. Cooperates with the Secretary General to guarantee a good process of the Patriarchal Synod and assists him in supervising all the work stages within his authority.

5. Supervises three working sectors: the executive secretariat, the texts committees and the working committees.

6. Cooperates with the coordinators of the Synod files and the experts' commission to prepare and re-draft the files and texts in light of the remarks.

7. Appoints, with the approval of the Secretary General, a person in charge for each working sector and convenes with them during the Patriarchal Synod on a daily basis. Furthermore, he convenes with the Secretary General and his assistants to discuss organizational matters.

Chapter IV: The General Secretariat working sectors

Article 43:1^st: The Administrative Secretariat

The Assistant secretary for administrative and organizational affairs appoints a head for the administrative secretariat, which include three working teams: A team to typeset the texts, a team to copy and distribute the texts and the Internet team.

1. The team in charge of typesetting texts: it assumes the responsibility of writing all texts needed by the Patriarchal Synod except the Synod texts, which are prepared by the executive secretariat.

2. The team in charge of copying and distributing texts: it assumes the responsibility of photocopying the Synod texts. It also distributes those texts during the sessions or places them in the mail boxes.

3. The Internet team: it designs the pages of the Patriarchal Synod website and chooses the texts to be published. It also handles all technical and artistic aspects of the website.

Article 44: 2^nd: The commission of coordinating the press work

1. It includes the director of the Catholic Center for Information as head, an official from "Voix de la Charité" radio station and another official from "Télé Lumière" television as members.

2. This commission handles the affairs of the accredited media personnel and links between them and the information committee.

Article 45: The "Voix de la Charité" radio station and the "Télé Lumière" television

1. The "Voix de la Charité" radio station and the "Télé Lumière" television provide live broadcast of the Patriarchal Synod works and full coverage of the general ceremonies, the opening and closing sessions.

2. A team from "Voix de la Charité" radio station and another from "Télé Lumière" television assist the General Secretariat to record some of the Patriarchal Synod sessions, selected by the Patriarch. The recorded tapes belong exclusively to the General Secretariat archives and are not destined to publishing or broadcasting without the prior permission of the Secretary General.

Article 46: The accredited media personnel

1. Prior to the Patriarchal Synod and with help from the Director of the Catholic Center for Information the assistant secretary for administrative and organizational affairs appoints the accredited journalists, the cameramen and the photographers.

2. The accredited media personnel do not participate in the Patriarchal Synod sessions; they only cover and publish the events under the supervision of the coordination commission and the information committee.

Article 47: 3^rd: Logistics teams

This sector includes: the telephone and post office, the travel office, the photography office, the library, the instantaneous translations, the emergency room, the first aid department, the ceremonies team, the sound editing, the sacristy officials, the dining room and the reception area.

1. The assistant secretary for administrative and organizational affairs appoints, with the cooperation and coordination of the Secretary General, the personnel of the telephone and post office, the travel office, photography, sound editing and the library. Moreover, he concludes contracts with them on behalf of the General Secretariat of the synod.

2. The assistant secretary for administrative and organizational affairs cooperates with the people in charge of the sacristy, the dining room, the reception area and the first aids in order to provide services in the due time.

3. Prior to the Patriarchal Synod, the Secretary General appoints the people in charge of the instantaneous translations. The interpreters do not take part in the sessions; they only carry on their functions of instantaneous translations and texts translation.

4. The assistant secretary for administrative and organizational affairs selects a team to welcome the Patriarchal Synod members. The team also gives information, facilitates the conveners' tasks, provides services and maintains the punctuality of the schedule.

Article 48: 4^th: The executive secretariat

The Assistant secretary for synod and executive affairs appoints a head for the executive secretariat, which includes two work teams: A team to typeset the synod texts and another to translate them.

Article 49: 5^th: The texts committee

It is divided into two categories: the coordinators of the synod texts and the experts' commission.

Article 50: The coordinators of the five files

They are bishops selected by the Central Committee to handle the Patriarchal Synod files.

Each coordinator presides over a work team of experts in order to redraft the files in light of the participants' remarks.
During the Patriarchal Synod, the coordinator is in charge of running the session dedicated to his file.
He gathers his team and convenes with the members of his committee to distribute the functions and unite the work in order to reach the final version.

Article 51: The experts' commission

The specialized experts are appointed by the Central Committee to draft or assist in the drafting of the synod texts.

1. Each group of experts form a work team headed by a coordinator in charge of one of the Patriarchal Synod files.

2. Each expert is in charge of drafting, correcting or redrafting one of the synod texts, according to the adopted methodology and in light of the participants' remarks.

3. During the Patriarchal Synod, each expert assumes the responsibility of deducing thoughts, topics, recommendations and decisions along with noting down, gathering and classifying the participants' remarks relating to his text.

4. The expert assists the Secretary General and the Assistant secretary for synod and executive affairs in all their drafting tasks.

5. The expert does not have any positive or negative right to vote, unless he is a rightful claimant or a delegate.

Chapter 5: the General Secretariat work committees

Article 52: the work committees

During the Patriarchal Synod, four work committees are created: the committee of information, the committee of the final statement, the committee of vote counting and the committee of prayers and liturgical ceremonies.

Article 53: 1^st: the committee of information: its formation and meetings

In addition to the Secretary General, the information committee includes the head, his deputy and other members appointed by the Central Committee with the approval of the Patriarch.
The committee convenes in advance prior to the Patriarchal Synod in order to:

· Distribute the functions to its members.

· Inform the public opinion via the press conferences and other means, display the main issues, enlighten the believers and explain unclear matters.

The committee convenes during the Patriarchal Synod to follow up the work and cooperate to achieve the goals.

Article 54: The tasks and authority of the information committee

1. To name the members of the Patriarchal Synod who will participate, if any, in the press conferences.

2. To agree with the participants, in advance, on the content of the press conference before holding it.

3. To prepare and circulate press statements.

4. To edit and circulate the minutes of meetings under the supervision of the Secretary General and the assistant secretary for synod and executive affairs.

5. To cooperate with the coordination committee of the press work in order to:

· Facilitate the work of the accredited journalists, the cameramen and photographers to cover the sessions and ceremonies.

· Organize the meetings of the accredited journalists and provide a practical and periodical organization to some open press conferences, the number and dates of which are previously determined.

· Publish information continuously and daily via the internet, the fax, the telephone or the Catholic center for Information.

· Facilitate the tasks of "Voix de la Charité" radio station and "Télé Lumière" television.

Article 55: 2^nd: the committee of the final statement: formation and meetings

1. The committee includes five members appointed by the patriarch while taking into consideration the geographical diversity, the scientific competence and the ability to write well and work collectively.

2. The committee convened for the first time to elect a president and a vice-president. Then it convenes repeatedly during the Patriarchal Synod to prepare the drafts and final version of the statement.

3. The final statement is addressed to the believers and their communities. This statement portrays the reality and calls for hope. The statement is discussed in the General Assembly during the appropriate periods and whenever it is necessary. Furthermore, it is put to vote in special plenary sessions and published via the media at the end of the Patriarchal Synod.

Article 56: the tasks of the final statement committee president

1. Calling the committee to convention, presiding over the meetings and distributing the tasks.

2. Presenting a first draft of the final statement in a general assembly.

3. Making sure that the text is available in all adopted languages.

4. Putting the final version to vote during the Patriarchal Synod sessions.

5. Presenting the statement to the media during a press conference.

Article 57:3^rd: the committee of counting of votes

1. The committee includes a president, a vice president and other members from the participants, appointed by the Central Committee.

2. The committee counts the votes of any poll taking place during the Patriarchal Synod.

3. The president of the committee informs the Secretary General of the results in order to announce them.

Article 58: 4^th: the committee of prayers and liturgical celebrations

1. The president of the patriarchal committee for liturgical affairs selects the members of the prayers and liturgical celebrations committee.

2. The members of this committee do not participate in the Patriarchal Synod unless they are members of it.

3. The committee organizes the collective prayers and liturgical celebrations such as the inauguration and conclusion masses, the morning prayers and the daily joint mass.

4. Prepares a liturgical book relating to this special occasion, which includes all prayers and liturgical celebrations.

SECTION IV

The sessions and process stages of the Patriarchal Synod

Title of the chapter	Number of articles
Chapter I: The main factors and general rules guaranteeing a good process of the Patriarchal Synod	59 - 65
Chapter II: The opening and concluding of the Patriarchal Synod	66 - 68
Chapter III: The Patriarchal Synod	69 - 86

Chapter I: the main factors and general rules

guaranteeing a good process of the Patriarchal Synod

Article 59: The prayers and liturgical ceremonies

A joint mass is held daily in “La Maison du Mont Monastery” church.
The sessions start with the Morning Prayer, a brief meditation and exposing the Holy Bible according to a special ceremony prepared by the committee of prayers and liturgical celebrations.
Prior to the Patriarchal Synod, the General Secretariat prints the texts of the mass and morning prayers in a special book related to the occasion and prepared by the committee of prayers and liturgical celebrations.
Prayers are recited or chanted between two choirs. Once the president reads a paragraph from the Holy Book, a member, selected by the General Secretariat, offers the meditation.

Article 60: The attendance and the absence

1. The administrative secretariat distributes names cards to verify the attendance of the members during the Patriarchal Synod sessions.

2. Every member is required to sign this card and deliver it to the concerned people.

3. The administrative secretariat counts the attendance in each session and refers the results to the commission of editing the minutes of meetings reports.

4. Any person, who will fail to attend, should notify the president in advance of the reason through the Secretary General.

Article 61: The language of the Patriarchal Synod and the instantaneous translations

1. The official language of the Patriarchal Synod is Arabic. However, French, English or Spanish could be also adopted during the Patriarchal Synod sessions.

2. Those asking for the floor should present to the General Secretariat the texts of their intervention in Arabic or any adopted language, at least one day prior to the intervention.

3. Should a person use a different language, he must deliver in advance to the General Secretariat the translation into one of the adopted languages so that the instantaneous translators could obtain it beforehand.

4. A headset for the instantaneous translations into the adopted languages is available to any member who wishes to have one.

5. The documents emanating from the Patriarchal Synod are also published in the adopted languages.

Article 62: the secrecy of the sessions and the press statements

In order to guarantee the freedom of speech for everyone, it is imperative to maintain the secrecy regarding the drafts, the preparatory texts, the individual opinions and all the interventions and consultations taking place in the Patriarchal Synod. Thus, participants are not allowed to have any recordings.
The interventions are documents reserved to the Synod. Hence, when read in a Synod session, they become the property of the Patriarchal Synod. The participant who prepared the intervention can publish it if he wants, through the General Secretariat.
The participants, who take the own initiative of making a press statement, should be objective and cautious about the content of their words.

Article 63: Lost items

The General Secretariat carefully gathers all the lost documents and personal things that could be left in the Patriarchal Synod hall and keeps them for their owners.

Article 64: The dress

During the Patriarchal Synod sessions, the bishops, the priests, the monks, the nuns and the laity should adopt the official dress.

Article 65: The rules of voting

Voting takes place according to the oriental relevant canonic law rules, unless other procedures are clearly determined.
First, voting takes place in the Patriarchal Synod to elect individuals like the presidents of the committees and the vice-presidents. Second, voting takes place to adopt texts such as the synod ones and others.
During the election of individuals, the absolute majority of the attending members is adopted in the first and second rounds. Whereas, the relative majority is adopted in the third round. Should the votes be equal after the third round, the oldest is proclaimed winner. If the election is solely occurring among the clerics or the monks, the winner among the clerics will be the senior in consecration and the winner among the monks will be the senior in monastic vows.
While voting on the synod texts or recommendations emanating from the Patriarchal Synod, the majority of the two thirds is adopted.
While voting on the final statement, the absolute majority of the attending members is adopted in the first round, whereas the relative majority is adopted in the second.
While voting on a controversial issue, the absolute majority of the attending members is adopted.
If it is necessary to vote on drafting a text, whether it was a full version or a selection, the absolute majority of the attending members is adopted.
When voting takes place by calling the names in order, each member is required, upon hearing his name, to hand the vote paper to the General Secretariat assistants in the Patriarchal Synod hall.
If any member fails to attend the Patriarchal Synod hall, he loses the right to vote, since voting by proxy is prohibited.
When calling the names ends, the committee of counting of votes proceeds to a room reserved for this purpose. Then, the aforesaid committee writes a report about the results, which is signed by all the committee members and handed over directly to the Secretary General.

Chapter II: the opening and concluding of the Patriarchal Synod

Article 66: General arrangements to open and conclude the Patriarchal Synod sessions

All members, delegates, experts, observers, and assistants to the General Secretariat participate in the inauguration mass and the conclusion mass.
The heads of the other Christian confessions in Lebanon are also invited to the ceremony.
If the patriarchs are to participate, they are requested to bring their ecclesiastical clothes and miters during the ceremony.
The bishops and the heads of the congregations wear the ecclesiastical clothes with the miters yet without the cane.
During the ceremony, all the priests wear the stole and the cassock.

Article 67: the opening of the Patriarchal Synod

1. The first session of the Patriarchal Synod is opened on Sunday, the 1^st of June 2003. A mass will be held in the Church of Our Lady of Assumption in the Patriarchal Seat in Bkerke at 6:00 p.m. by the Patriarch who will be assisted by the bishops and the priests, each according to his rank. Moreover, believers along with all the members of the Patriarchal Synod will participate in this mass.

2. The Patriarch will deliver a sermon by which he will open the Patriarchal Synod.

Article 68: The concluding of the Patriarchal Synod

1. The Patriarchal Synod concludes the first session on Saturday the 21^st of June 2003. A solemn mass will be held in “La Maison du Mont Monastery” church at 5:00 p.m. by the Patriarch who will be assisted by the bishops and the priests, each according to his rank. Moreover, believers along with all the members of the Patriarchal Synod will participate in this mass.

2. The Patriarch will deliver a sermon by which he will conclude the first session.

Chapter II: The Patriarchal Synod

First: General Rules

Article 69: the seats of the attendants in the Patriarchal Synod hall

Each participant has a reserved seat.
All the Patriarchal Synod works occur in “La Maison du Mont” Monastery, Fatka- Lebanon.
The Patriarch sits to the presidency table.
The Secretary General, the assistant secretaries and the session coordinator sit in a reserved location.
The members sit during their interventions, in a reserved location. Afterwards, they return to their seats.

Article 70: the arrangement

Seats are arranged in the Patriarchal Synod hall and when necessary, as follows:

1. The Maronite Patriarch followed by the Patriarchs and Cardinals, each according to his rank.

2. The bishops according to the seniority in consecration then according to age.

3. The Maronite Superior Generals of congregations according to the seniority of the congregation foundation. Then, follow the non-Maronite heads of congregations, if they attend, according to the alphabetical order of the last name, all within the same group.

4. The Maronite Superior Generals of women congregations according to the seniority of the congregation foundation. Then, follow the non-Maronite heads of women congregations, if they attend, according to the alphabetical order of the last name, all within the same group.

5. The priests who form the members, the experts and the General Secretariat working teams according to the ecclesiastical rank, then the seniority of consecration then age, all within the same group.

6. The nuns who form the members, the experts and the General Secretariat working teams according to the alphabetical order of the last name, all within the same group.

7. The laity who form the members, the experts and the General Secretariat working teams according to the alphabetical order of the last name, all within the same group.

8. The groups are arranged as follows: the president of the Patriarchal Synod, the patriarchs, the Apostolic Delegate, the Vice President, the Secretary General, the members, the experts, and the administrative and executive secretariat together, the committee of prayers and liturgical celebrations, the media personnel and the logistics teams.

9. The arrangement within the group is as follows: the Bishops, the Superior Generals of congregations, the Superior Generals of women congregations, the priests, the monks, the nuns and the laity.

10. If any council member is also a member of the commission of experts or one of the General Secretariat teams, he sits in order among the Patriarchal Synod members.

Article 71: The running of sessions

1. The Patriarch opens and concludes the sessions.

2. Each session is run by a special coordinator with the cooperation of the Secretary General. They both sit on a special tribune.

3. The Secretary General prepares the daily agenda by agreement with the assistant secretary for administrative and organizational affairs and according to the incoming interventions.

Article 72: asking for the floor for intervention

Each member of the Patriarchal Synod is entitled to one intervention written in the single text.
After the opening, all members are requested to deliver their interventions and inform the General Secretariat of their demand, at least one day prior to the intervention date.
The Secretary General and the assistant secretary for administrative and organizational affairs set the interventions in order according to their incoming. They set the schedule and prepare the agenda of each session.
The members make their interventions in the same order they followed to inform the General Secretariat of their demands.
For compulsory reasons, the General Secretariat can reverse the order of interventions.
During the Patriarchal Synod sessions, which are opened to discussion, each member of the Synod is entitled to have the floor for one time to read his intervention. Therefore, the General Secretariat accepts only one intervention in the single text for each member.
The speakers are requested to remain seated during their intervention. They are not entitled to speak unless the session coordinator calls them by name.
The speakers are requested not to be hasty while they read. They should read slowly in order to facilitate the instantaneous translators’ task.

Article 73: The intervention text

The intervention must be delivered to the General Secretariat along with the demand for the floor. It should be clearly written and typed if possible. In that case, it must be delivered with the floppy disk.
During the intervention, it is appropriate to refer to the texts numbers.
The General Secretariat classifies the interventions according to their incoming.
Shortly before reading it, the General Secretariat distributes the full version of the intervention text to the Patriarch along with the coordinators, the experts and the interpreters.
The General Secretariat receives from each member, one intervention in each single text even if it would not be read during the session.
Eight minutes are dedicated to read the intervention, that is, a page and a half or 45 lines. However, that does not prevent the member from delivering a longer text to the General Secretariat attached to the concise one, which will be read during the Synod sessions.
If the intervention is written in a foreign language, the member presents, if possible, the Arabic translation to the General Secretariat.
The members are requested not to hand their interventions directly to the press, but rather via the General Secretariat.
The author of the intervention has the right not to publish it.

Article 74: The intervention summary

The members who present an intervention should also deliver a summary of it in order to publish it upon their request.
The General Secretariat distributes the intervention summary to the information committee, which delivers it to the press.
The author of the intervention has the right not to publish it.

Article 75: The unread intervention

The participants who do not wish to speak during the Patriarchal Synod sessions or those who did not have the opportunity to read their interventions can deliver them on paper to the General Secretariat.
These written interventions are taken into consideration and will be studied by experts as the rest of the interventions.
The author of the intervention has the right not to publish it
For the intervention form and content, refer to article 73 "the intervention text".

Article 76: The participation of the invitees and observers

The participants in the Patriarchal Synod as invitees and observers will be given the opportunity to express their opinions through the interventions during the Synod sessions.
During the sessions of general discussion, and according to the available time, periods of time will be dedicated to hear their interventions.
Eight minutes are dedicated to read each intervention.
For the intervention form and content, refer to article 73 "the intervention text".

Article 77: The reply and objection to the intervention

If an attendant wishes to reply or object to some opinions that regard him personally and directly, he can ask for the floor from the Patriarchal Synod president at the end of the interventions.
The Patriarchal Synod president is entitled to give the right to reply and determine the day of the response if the time permits.
If the Patriarchal Synod president did not specify a time limit for the reply, the speaker must be brief in his response.
Afterwards, the replies must be delivered on paper to the General Secretariat.
For the intervention form and content, refer to article 73 "the intervention text".

Second: the Patriarchal Synod sessions

Article 78: The Patriarchal Synod agenda and methodology of work

The Patriarchal Synod opens its first session on Sunday the 1^st of June 2003 and concludes it on Saturday the 21^st of June 2003.
The effective days of the Patriarchal Synod last from the 2^nd to the 7^th of June 2003 and from the 16^th to the 21^st of June 2003.
Four sessions are held daily: the first one lasts from 9:00 a.m. till 10:30a.m., the second from 11:00 a.m. till 13:00 p.m., the third from 14:00 p.m. till 15:30 p.m. and the fourth from 18:00 p.m. till 19:00 p.m.
The Patriarchal Synod sessions are adjourned from Saturday the 7^th of June 2003 afternoon till Sunday the 15^th of June 2003.
The Patriarchal Synod opens its first session Monday the 2^nd of June 2003.

Article 79: the Patriarchal Synod methodology of work

1. During the Patriarchal Synod, several sessions will be dedicated to hear the interventions of the members, which are regarded as remarks and suggestions concerning the Synod texts.

2. Several sessions will also be dedicated to present the suggested modifications.

3. At the end of the second week and once all texts have been discussed, the General Secretariat puts to vote all suggested modifications after it has gathered them in one file titled "the file of modifications".

4. After the voting and the closing of the Synod, the Central Committee and the texts committee work together to correct the errors and submit the file to the Synod of the Maronite Church bishops in order to adopt and ratify the final version of the text.

Article 80: Types of sessions

1. All the sessions are plenary ones and held in the Patriarchal Synod hall.

2. The Patriarchal Synod sessions are closed ones. The media are only allowed to cover the opening and concluding sessions.

3. The Patriarchal Synod are divided into six types:

· The first opening session.

· The intervention sessions.

· The sessions of presenting the interventions summaries.

· The sessions of reading "the file of modifications" and voting on its clauses.

· The session of declaring the vote results.

· The sessions of reading the final statement.

Article 81: The first opening session:

it includes the welcoming speech addressed by the Patriarchal Synod president and the speech of the Secretary General. This session is a public one and the media are allowed to attend and cover it.

Article 82: The interventions sessions

1. The Patriarchal Synod dedicates for each text one session or more in order to hear the participants interventions in its regard.

2. In order to exchange information and to clearly express the different opinions regarding a discussion topic, large periods of time are dedicated to interventions so that participants can hear and talk if they wish to.

3. Hearing the interventions requires a lot of patience and attention. The purpose of the interventions is to identify all the topic aspects, to know the different points of view, the most important cases and issues that interest the bishops, to think of the offered solutions, to endorse the relationship between the participants and to present an integral and correct text.

4. A dialogue circle can be dedicated to discuss each file after hearing the written interventions in its regard.

Article 83: The session of presenting the interventions summaries

1. The Secretary General and the assistant secretary for synod and executive affairs work with the file coordinator and receive help from the concerned experts to write a summary of the interventions regarding a certain text, which is presented in a dedicated session.

2. Many summaries of many interventions can be presented in one session.

3. The coordinator of the concerned file presents the interventions summaries.

Article 84: The session of reading "the file of modifications" and voting on its clauses

The General Secretariat prints out "the file of modifications" and dedicates one session or more to read it and vote on its content.
The Secretary General and his assistants read alternately "the file of modifications" once the General Secretariat has delivered a copy to the members entitled to vote.
When reading it, the members entitled to vote, sign each clause separately by approving or disapproving. Then, the General Secretariat collects all the copies for the vote counting.
Voting occurs by the majority of the two thirds. However, voting by proxy is prohibited and since voting is public, each member signs at the bottom of the text in hands.
Vote counting is carried out by the concerned committee, which is appointed by the Secretary General. Results are declared in a session dedicated for this purpose.

Article 85: The session of declaring the vote results

1. A synod session is dedicated to declare the results of voting on the clauses of "the file of modifications".

2. The Secretary General and his assistants declare alternately the voting results on the clauses of “the file of modifications”.

Article 86: the sessions of reading the final statement

1. During the final days, a plenary session or more is dedicated to read, discuss and correct the final statement.

2. The committee in charge of preparing the final statement presents to the Patriarchal Synod a first draft in order to discuss it. After collecting the written notes of the participants, the committee prepares another draft that is put to the vote during another plenary session.

3. The president of the committee reads the final version of the final statement. The voting occurs by adopting the absolute majority of the attending members in the first time while the relative majority is adopted in the second time.

4. In a closing session and in front of the press and the media, the president or the Secretary General reads the final version of the final statement.

SECTION V

The Synod Documents

Title of the chapter	Number of articles
Chapter I: The documents preceding the Patriarchal Synod	87 - 89
Chapter II: The structure and methodology of the Synod texts	90 - 92
Chapter III: The Synod texts or the Synod works	93
Chapter IV: The Patriarchal Synod documents	94 - 97
Chapter V: The documents following the Patriarchal Synod	98 - 101

Chapter I: the documents preceding the Patriarchal Synod

Article 87: Pastoral deliberations

A file of ten volumes (1173 pages) is the result of the pastoral deliberations for a Synod process and issued in the period between March 1986 and May 1988.

Article 88: The first draft of the five files

This draft was issued during the preparatory stage lasting between June 1988 and June 2002.

Article 89: The Synod texts

They are the second and final drafts before the convention of the Patriarchal Synod. They include an introduction and five files (24 texts).

Chapter II: the structure and methodology of the Synod texts

Article 90: 1^st: the structure of the Synod texts

The Synod text is divided into four sections:

Section 1: the information and the historical standards of the topic, based on literature and ecclesiastical documents and texts, traditions and practices.

Section 2: the imposed problems and today's challenges.

Section 3: the future suggestions with regard to the Maronite Church within the Patriarchal frame and world wide.

Section 4: suggesting questions to discuss and study the topic thoroughly.

Article 91: 2^nd: the methodology of the Synod text

When writing a text, it is imperative to:

1. Focus on the characteristics of the Maronism and shed the light on its uniqueness.

2. Focus on the universality of the text that should be valid:

a. For all time and age.

b. For every Maronite in any given country (it is necessary to avoid limiting the Maronism to the Lebanese identity)

c. The scientific objectivity is compulsory.

3. Be concise in the composition.

a. Avoid relating events and mentioning details.

b. Avoid mentioning names and eminent figures that could raise a controversy.

4. Numbering the files and clauses to facilitate the quotations

a. Numbering the Synod texts.

b. Numbering the clauses of each text in a continuous manner with disregard to the chapters division.

Article 92: the Ownership of the texts

When the Central Committee adopts one of the Patriarchal Synod texts, it becomes the property of the Patriarchal Synod. Therefore, the author is forced to waive the copyrights.

Chapter III: The Synod texts or the Patriarchal Synod works

Article 93: The Patriarchal Synod works

The Patriarchal Synod works are formed of an introduction, and five files that include 24 texts divided as follows:

The theological introduction

1. The Church of Hope - an Act of Faith for our world.

The first file: the identity of the Maronite Church, Her Vocation and Mission

2. The identity of the Maronite Church.

3. The apostolic and missionary vocation of the Maronite Church.

4. The ecumenical vocation of the Maronite Church.

5. The vocation of the Maronite Church in her relationship with Islam and the Arab World.

The second file: the pastoral renewal in the Maronite Church.

On Persons:

6. The priests in the Maronite Church - their priesthood, vocation, training and ministry.

7. The religious life in the Maronite Church

8. The laity in the Maronite Church

9. The Maronite family.

10. The youth

On structures:

11. The Maronite Patriarchate.

12. The Episcopal collegiality in the Maronite Church.

13. The parish and the pastoral ministry.

On pastoral life:

14. The Education – Proclamation and ongoing training for adult lay faithful.

15. The liturgy.

The third file: The Maronite Church in today's world.

16. The Maronite Church in today's world.

17. The Maronite Church and politics.

18. The Maronite Church; apostle of modernity.

19. The Maronite Church and the media.

20. The Maronite Church and the sociological question.

21. The Maronite Church and economic affairs.

22. The Maronite Church and the land.

The fourth file: The laws and rules of the Maronite Church

23. The laws and rules of the Maronite Church.

The fifth file: The Maronite Church and her expansion in the world

24. The Maronite Church and her expansion in the world (11 countries).

Chapter IV: The Patriarchal Synod documents

Article 94: The welcoming speech of the president in the opening session

The Patriarch, who presides the opening session, makes this speech; he welcomes all the participants and calls them to solidarity and collective work for the benefit of the Maronite Church.

Article 95: The speech of the Secretary General

This speech includes a concise display of the preparatory stages, the organization and work methodology of the Patriarchal Synod and other practical matters. Furthermore, this speech presents in a brief manner, the raised Synod files.

Article 96: The summary of interventions

The Secretary General composes with the collaboration of the assistant secretaries and the experts a summary of the interventions regarding each Patriarchal Synod text. The summary is concise, comprehensible and comprises the main ideas elaborated by the participants.

Article 97: the file of modifications

1. It is a collection of interventions summaries in their final version. It is the endeavors outcome of the entire Patriarchal Synod, since it collects the material discussed during the Patriarchal Synod sessions.

2. It is written solely in Arabic to avoid fruitless discussions regarding the translation. Yet, it will be translated into the adopted languages.

3. After voting on its clauses, the file becomes the property of the Synod of the Maronite Church bishops and a non-binding consultative version.

Chapter V: The documents following the Patriarchal Synod

Article 98: The final statement

1. The final statement is a letter addressed to the people of God and especially to those who are directly concerned with the Patriarchal Synod topic.

2. The statement adopts the method of guidance and aims at encouraging believers to respond faithfully, each to his vocation and congratulate them for the deployed efforts.

3. The statement is written if possible in the adopted languages and read by the Patriarchal Synod president or the Secretary General during a press conference at the closing of the Synod works.

Article 99: The sessions' reports

The information committee is in charge of writing the minutes of meetings, which are signed by the committee president and the Secretary General and distributed by the General Secretariat to the members as soon as it is ready.

Article 100: The press statements

The information committee composes the press statements, which are signed by the president of the committee and the Secretary General and distributed to the local and world press.

Article 101: The final version of the Patriarchal Synod files

Later, the final version of the Patriarchal Synod files comes out from the Central Committee and the experts’ commission after correcting it in light of the "file of modifications" and obtaining the approval of the Patriarch and the Synod of the Maronite Church bishops.

Title of the chapter	Number of articles
Chapter I: the nature and purpose of the Patriarchal Synod	1 - 3
Chapter II: the participants in the Patriarchal Synod	4 - 13
Chapter III: the preparations for the Patriarchal Synod	14