Now the Ethiopian government is linking the problem in the church with unspecified group with a mission to disintegrate the country
borkena
The Ethiopian government on Sunday released a statement in connection with the ongoing problem in the Ethiopian Church – for which it has been widely criticized.
Claiming that the government has been helping to solve problems the church has been facing (just like the Prime Minister did so when the met with his cabinet ministers), government communication services said “believers should refrain from complicating the problem, stop being an instrument for other entities and play a constructive role.”
In addition, the government warned the media about coverage that aggravates the situation.
Furthermore, the government made claims to link the situation in the Ethiopian church to forces that have a malicious interest in the existence of Ethiopia.
But the claim was unspecified and blurry. It said that the government has “learned that forces who attempted and failed to disintegrate the country are working to cause religious and ethnic conflict and aggravate them.” It said the government will not tolerate it.
“The government will do its law enforcement work against those who are working to aggravate the problem. Again it is unspecified as to what groups are aggravating the problem.
The statement from the ministry also said that the church is capable of resolving the problem through internal mechanisms and through “dialogue.”
EOTC Media on Sunday shared brief information saying Ethiopian Long Distance Athlete, Derartu Tulu, is working on the mediation effort, and that her effort has recognition from the Holy Synod and is not against the canons of the Ethiopian Church.
The problem in the church started a day after the colorful celebration of the feast of Epiphany across the country when three Bishops drifted away from the Holy Synod and declared a new ethnic-based patriarchate from a rural church close to the town of Woliso.
The Holy Synod has excommunicated the group and the splinter group, the 26 bishops it ordained, stripped their ranks off.
The laity
The laity of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has been following instructions from the Holy Synod and there have been no reports of actions that compromised the security situation.
On the other hand, video footage and images circulating on social media indicated that the group that has been excommunicated by the Holy Synod was supported by Special Forces in the Oromia region and breaking into churches in several areas in the Oromo region of Ethiopia.
Their move caused tension as the laity moved to protect patriarchates at the Diocese levels. In Shashemene, Oromo region special forces opened fire on residents who rushed to St. Michael Church to defend it as the illegal group attempted to break in. At least three civilians are killed ( Martyred as the Ethiopian Church calls it). Well over 11 wounded. Some church sources put the latest number of deaths to 35.
There are also reports, according to Adebabay Media, that the illegal group ( it has become clearly noticeable that it has government support) is planning to stage a public rally in the capital Addis Ababa.
The Ethiopian Church Holy Synod has called on three days of fasting and prayer. On Sunday, it announced that the laity should avoid carrying any slogans or emblems when going to church. It said only prayer books are allowed. It has also called on the laity to dress in black in the course of the three days of prayers.
If the government failed to answer demands from the Holy Synod by February 12, the church is poised to have a nationwide peaceful demonstration.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration has been widely criticized for intervention in the affairs of the church in a way to support the illegal group and for failing to enforce law as the group is trespassing on the church properties.
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Once the moral legitimacy of any government is called in question, history teaches us the trajectory will be a rapid downward spiral or a grinding but resolute final crush. The Abiy government cannot now lay the blame on the West again like Adanech Abebe blamed the West and tried to shift focus from herself during her fanatic flag and school language debacle.
Come on PM Abiy, are you going to blame the West for:
1) your interference in the internal affairs of the EOTC Holy Synod?
2) which Western countries interfered? Name one!!!!!
3) which other forces? The TPLF you defeated? Did you not broadcast pics of yourself and TPLF senior members together at a table just the other day???
Did the West ask you to break Article 11 of the Ethiopian constitution?
Did the West ask you to support the splinter group, the dissenters, break into EOTC churches in Shashemene?
Did the West ask you to shoot at innocent parishioners?
Your PP government is losing legitimacy and the minimum respect by the hour. It has been years since you lost the moral high ground?
Morality and ethics are not for compromise. They may not be absolute but they must be integral and genuine parts of a leader. The world does not expect much from politicians, but at the very minimum to have some sense of decency, some conscience, some feelings, some humility some grace, some humanity and at least the presence of a moral compass to point to the true north.
What about saying I am sorry.
What about ensuring the security of all Ethiopians equally without playing favoritism by tribe, language or religious denomination.
What about caring about justice and fairness, and being careful not to put one’ s thumb on the scale of justice?
የተከበሩትጠ/ሚ በአንድ ወቅት ” መግደል: መሸነፍ ነው” ብለውን ነበረ: የዛሬን አያድርገውና::
አሁን ተሸንፈዋል ማለት ነው?????
now the PP is going to stage a disgraceful march in Addis, they are going to terrorize the residents of Addis that if they don’t support oromo PP, they are going to pay for it….PP is a continuation of EPRDF, only more ethnic and more charged with hatred towards the Amhara…Prosperity for some means the erasing of Amhara and the EOC… poor thinking
This article is smelling special spell synonymous with Fano and corrupted mahibrekidusan nicknamed mahibreseytan. We advise you to refrain taking elders , children and vulnerable people. For Instance, “A mass of mostly young people celebrating Halloween in Seoul became trapped and crushed as the crowd surged into a narrow alley, killing at least 153 people and injuring 133 others in South Korea.””
Don’t involve in violence with your religious family members of Orthodox Tewahedo church in Oromiyaa. Above all, Ethiopian Government , Abiy Ahmed is a leader of Orthodox , Catholic, protestant, Muslims, and many other denominations and religions. You can’t twist Abiy Ahmed for your own sake by oppressing the rights of Oromo Orthodox church.
Demonstration and crying like a crow in the streets has no biblical foundation, you must prayer and come to dialogue , but stop your plot, consipiracy, defamation and insult and all other evil activities not supported by christian teachings.
You are twisted by fanatic money minded bishops , fanos and anti Abiy Ahmed factions.
In light of today’s major earthquake that jolted Türkiye killing more than 1,800 people and counting, I hope that will be a wake up call for urban planners and geology experts from the old country. It can happen there too. In the last 40 days there were 2 reported moderate earthquake in that country already, one close to Semera and the other one not too far from Ādīgrat. The continental fault line is right there in the vicinity dissecting the Red Sea at the center. The old country has active volcanoes too. Let’s hope and pray that such strong earthquake will avoid those upright people who produced us all. Those in our Diaspora who live in earthquake prone states like those on the Pacific coast, take notice. Earthquake can happen anywhere but they are usually deadly and devastating close to fault lines and active volcanoes. Stay safe! Insha’Allah!!!!