PM Abiy’s remark on the Orthodox church met with resistance 

Many Ethiopians, as seen on social media platforms, tend to think that PM Abiy Ahmed’s involved in the problem that church is facing. He denies any wrongdoing 

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Ethiopian PM Abiy Ahmed remarked, on Tuesday, on the issue with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church after days of silence as the public expressed growing concern that the matter could lead to serious violence. 

In a meeting with his cabinet Ministers, whom he warned not to involve in the problem in the church in any form, he attempted to showcase what his government did for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and how the previous governments before him were repressive towards the church. 

While painting an image that much has been done for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), he said his government has nothing to do with the problem and that the tendency to criticize his government is baseless.  

However, he also said that his government sent a delegation to both of them – he is referring to the Holy Synod of the EOTC and the three Bishops who broke away from it last week with a move to establish an ethnic-Oromo-based Patriarchate in the Oromo region of Ethiopia. The message was, he says, to discuss the matter themselves and reconcile. 

He claimed he spoke to the group that broke away and learned that the issue in the church has something to do with the right to use one’s own language for a church service. The Ethiopian Church is saying that it has addressed the language issue, is working on expanding the service and does not have any opposition to service in one’s own language.   

Based on activists, religious leaders and the laity who are expressing their views regarding his remark on the matter, he made even more damage rather than loosening the tension.

The followers of the Ethiopian Church are saying that they did not ask the government for any preferential treatment. They are blaming the government for its failure to enforce the law and for what appears to be government-supported pressure on the church.

Days after the problem was announced, security forces that were posted in the Patriarchate were withdrawn. Also, his government is criticized for allowing the new group to take Ethiopian churches by force when it is excommunicated and the church requested the government to enforce law and order including protection of the church property. 

There are reports that Oromia’s regional state is protecting the new group when they are taking over churches that belong to the Ethiopian church. 

Fears are mounting that government interference in a way to facilitate support to the new group that is aspiring to establish a patriarchate in the Oromia region could lead to bloodshed.  EZEMA, an opposition party, expressed on Tuesday called on the government to stop interference in religious matters and to enforce the law against groups with political interests that are interfering in the problem within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. 

It is only a few months ago that Ethiopia came out of a bloody civil war that is said to have killed nearly one million people. His Holiness Abune Mathias this week called on the Ethiopian government to enforce law and order to avoid bloodshed. 

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