What makes Maronites different from Catholics?
Maronites are not different from Catholics. Maronites ARE Catholics, and have always been so. Many Roman Catholics have an incomplete knowledge of the Maronite Church and are unaware that there are different rituals within the Catholic church besides the church that uses the Latin ritual. The various rites vary from one another with regards to their Eucharistic Liturgies, fasting regulations, celebration of holy days, art, architecture, etc. Each rite is autonomous in that each has its own canons, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual hierarchy. However, each rite maintains the Sacraments (Mysteries), the fundamental teachings of the Church (the Incarnation, Resurrection, the Blessed Trinity, and stresses the common Apostolic Tradition. All rites within the Catholic Church are of equal dignity. Differences in forms of worship do not compromise the essential unity of the Church. Catholics of various rites are encouraged to worship in each other’s churches, including receiving the Sac
