Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch Warns of Challenges Threatening Church’s Existence

His Holiness Abune Mathias stated that if the challenges are not urgently addressed, they “will inevitably put the Church’s existence into question.”

Borkena

Toronto – His Holiness Abune Mathias, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, on Wednesday spoke about two crucial issues during a speech at the opening of the Holy Synod meeting. 

The conflict in the country and the existential challenges the church is experiencing including the division from within the church are emphasized in his speech. 

He called up on members of the Holy Synod to embark on its own effort towards ending the conflicts in the country – and for the politicians to give peace and reconciliation a chance. 

Declining peace in the country is impacting the faithful psychologically, he pointed out. He added that apart from losing a peace of mind, they have been vulnerable to death and disability. Their prosperities are looted and destroyed. “Despite all these, they are not getting justice. Churches are being closed due to displacement of congregation and being burnt.” 

Character assassination and smear campaign against the church is another point he raised during his speech. He pointed out that it has reached to the point that the icons of saints are being torn apart in public. 

He was explicit that entities that are rising against the Orthodox Church with the aim to challenge its existence are acting as if they are serving other entities as mercenaries. He made a reference to the “Tehadiso” movement – a movement that mimics the church in a malicious way.  They are using the church hymns and Orthodox Worship practices in a distorted way and in public. 

What he pointed out resonates with complaints from the followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.  The view is that the government is involved in facilitating the campaigns against the orthodox church. 

Notably, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration is rumored to have goals to weaken the church. The prime minister himself is said to be a follower of Prosperity Gospel and there was a time when the government allegedly sponsored Franklin Graham to Ethiopia for a “gospel” crusade earlier this year. On the contrary, there was a time when the Prime Minister was openly making allegations that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is “training armies in monasteries.” (Read detail here).

In terms of internal challenges,  His Holiness Abune Mathias identified lack of unity within the church as one of the problems that is extensively observed. ” A gab is being observed in terms of standing as a single voice and heart in delivering the divine mission for which we are named,” he said. 

He added “our service, apostolic mission is not following contemporary wisdom and technique; our administration did not satisfy congregations. The gab is not only feeding the media but also opening a big door for our flocks to be stolen by others.”   

The Patriarch expressed his fears of what the result of the gab would be. “It is inevitable that the existence of the church will be in question.” unless the shortcomings are addressed urgently and with determination, he added.  

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has also been facing persecutions in different parts of the country – particularly in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Particularly over the past seven years, churches were burnt and massacres of members of the church have been recurring. There are views that tend to see the pattern as a coordinated work including with the involvement of those in government power. 

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