[NYer]

I further understand that in Lebanon it isn’t accepted except to the extent that it is necessary to “pay lip service” as one Lebanese fellow put it to me the other day, to the “Magisterium”. True?

This individual is either ignorant of his Maronite faith or recognizing a devout Orthodox, decided to feed you what you wanted to hear ;-)

The Maronite Church maintains very strong bonds with the Vatican. Only last month, the Patriarch made an appeal for support of the situation in Lebanon and the Holy Father immdiately responded. The Maronites are very proud to be the only Eastern Church that has never separated from the Magisterium.

[Kolokotronis]

“This individual is either ignorant of his Maronite faith or recognizing a devout Orthodox, decided to feed you what you wanted to hear ;-)”

My suspicion is the latter. His daughter is married to an Orthodox guy and they attend our parish. He’s from Lebanon and is here for the Feast of the Nativity. His brother is a Maronite hierarch in Lebanon.