Catholic canon with deuterocanonical books; Peshitta Syriac text used liturgically
The Maronite Church accepts the full Catholic biblical canon, including the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament (Tobit, Judith, 1–2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and additions to Esther and Daniel). This canon was definitively affirmed at the Councils of Florence and Trent.
A distinctive feature of the Maronite tradition is its use of the Peshitta—the ancient Syriac translation of the Bible—in liturgical reading and theological reflection. The Peshitta is one of the oldest continuous Christian biblical traditions and occupies a place of honor in Maronite heritage as a witness to the Semitic roots of Christianity. Many Maronite liturgical prayers and hymns are saturated with the vocabulary and imagery of the Syriac Peshitta.
Key Distinctions
- Ot canon:
- 46 books (Catholic canon); Syriac Peshitta tradition
- Deuterocanonical status:
- fully canonical
- Additional scripture:
- none
- Canon open:
- closed
Scripture References
Sources
- Council of Florence, Cantate Domino (1442)
- Council of Trent, Session IV (1546)
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§120–127
- Synod of Mount Lebanon (1736), Chapter III