Everything about Ethiopian Orthodox Church totally explained
The
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (in transliterated
Amharic:
Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan) is an
Oriental Orthodox church in
Ethiopia that was part of the
Coptic Orthodox Church until
1959, when it was granted its own
Patriarch by
Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa,
Cyril VI.
One of the few pre-
colonial Christian churches of
Sub-Saharan Africa, it has a membership of about 40 million people (45 million claimed by the Patriarch), mainly in Ethiopia, and is thus the largest of all Oriental Orthodox churches.
History
Origins
Tewahedo (
Ge'ez ተዋሕዶ
tawāhidō, modern pronunciation
tewāhidō) is a
Ge'ez word meaning "being made one" or "unified"; it's cognate with (
tawhid), meaning "monotheism".
Tewahedo refers to the
Oriental Orthodox belief in the one single unified
Nature of Christ; for example, a belief that a complete, natural union of the Divine and Human Natures into One is self-evident in order to accomplish the divine salvation of humankind, as opposed to the "two Natures of Christ" belief (unmixed, but unseparated Divine and Human Natures, called the
Hypostatic Union) promoted by today's
Roman Catholic and
Eastern Orthodox churches. According to the
Catholic Encyclopedia article on the
Henotikon (External Link
): the
Patriarchs of
Alexandria,
Antioch, and
Jerusalem, and many others, all refused to accept the "two natures" doctrine decreed by the
Byzantine Emperor Marcian's
Council of Chalcedon in
451, thus separating them from the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox — who themselves separated from one another later on in the
East-West Schism (
1054).
The Oriental Orthodox Churches, which today include the
Coptic Orthodox Church, the
Armenian Apostolic Church, the
Syriac Orthodox Church, the
Malankara Orthodox Church of India, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and the
Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, are referred to as "Non-Chalcedonian", and, sometimes by outsiders as "
monophysite" (meaning "One Single Nature", in reference to Christ). However, these Churches themselves describe their Christology as
miaphysite (meaning "One United Nature", in reference to Christ; the translation of the word "Tewahedo").
The Ethiopian Church claims its earliest origins from the royal official said to have been baptized by
Philip the Evangelist (
Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 8):
» "Then the angel of the Lord said to Philip, Start out and go south to the road that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza. So he set out and was on his way when he caught sight of an Ethiopian. This man was a eunuch, a high official of the Kandake (Candace) Queen of Ethiopia in charge of all her treasure." (8:27)
The passage continues by describing how Philip helped the Ethiopian treasurer understand a passage from Isaiah that the Ethiopian was reading. After the Ethiopian received an explanation of the passage, he requested that Philip baptize him, and Philip did so. The Ethiopic version of this verse reads "Hendeke" (ህንደኬ); Queen Gersamot Hendeke VII was the Queen of Ethiopia from ca. 42 to 52.
Orthodox Christianity became the
established church of the Ethiopian
Axumite Kingdom under king
Ezana in the
4th century through the efforts of a Syrian Greek named
Frumentius, known in Ethiopia as
Abba Selama, Kesaté Birhan ("Father of Peace, Revealer of Light"). As a youth, Frumentius had been shipwrecked with his brother Aedesius on the Eritrean coast. The brothers managed to be brought to the royal court, where they rose to positions of influence and converted Emperor Ezana to Christianity, causing him to be baptised. Ezana sent Frumentius to
Alexandria to ask the
Patriarch, St.
Athanasius, to appoint a bishop for Ethiopia. Athanasius appointed Frumentius himself, who returned to Ethiopia as Bishop with the name of
Abune Selama.
From then on, until 1959, the
Pope of Alexandria, as Patriarch of All Africa, always named an Egyptian (a
Copt) to be
Abuna or
Archbishop of the Ethiopian Church.
Following the independence of
Eritrea as a nation in 1993, the Coptic Church in 1994 appointed an Archbishop for the Eritrean Church, which in turn obtained autocephaly in 1998, with the consecration of the first Eritrean Patriarch.
Middle Ages
Union with the
Coptic Orthodox Church continued after the Arab conquest in
Egypt. Abu Saleh records in the
12th century that the patriarch always sent letters twice a year to the kings of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and
Nubia, until Al Hakim stopped the practice. Cyril, 67th patriarch, sent Severus as bishop, with orders to put down
polygamy and to enforce observance of canonical consecration for all churches. These examples show the close relations of the two churches concurrent with the
Middle Ages.
In
1439, in the reign of
Zara Yaqob, a religious discussion between
Abba Giyorgis and a French visitor had led to the dispatch of an embassy from Ethiopia to the
Vatican.
Jesuit interim
The period of
Jesuit influence, which broke the connection with Egypt, began a new chapter in Church history. The initiative in the
Roman Catholic missions to Ethiopia was taken, not by Rome, but by Portugal, as an incident in the struggle with the
Muslim Ottoman Empire and
Sultanate of Adal for the command of the trade route to
India by the
Red Sea.
In
1507 Matthew, or Matheus, an Armenian, had been sent as an Ethiopian envoy to Portugal to ask for aid against the
Adal Sultanate. In 1520 an embassy under Dom
Rodrigo de Lima landed in Ethiopia (by which time Adal had been remobilized under
Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi). An interesting account of the Portuguese mission, which lasted for several years, was written by
Francisco Álvares, the chaplain.
Later,
Ignatius Loyola wished to take up the task of conversion, but was forbidden. Instead, the
pope sent out
Joao Nunez Barreto as patriarch of the East Indies, with
Andre de Oviedo as bishop; and from
Goa envoys went to Ethiopia, followed by Oviedo himself, to secure the king's adherence to Rome. After repeated failures some measure of success was achieved under Emperor
Susenyos, but not until
1624 did the Emperor make formal submission to the
pope. Susenyos made Roman Catholicism the official state religion, but was met with heavy resistance by his subjects, and eventually had to abdicate in
1632 to his son,
Fasilides, who promptly restored the state religion to Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. He then expelled the Jesuits in
1633, and in
1665, Fasilides ordered that all Jesuit books (the Books of the Franks) be burned.
Recent history
The Coptic and Ethiopian Churches reached an agreement on
13 July 1948 that led to
autocephaly for the Ethiopian Church. Five
bishops were immediately consecrated by the
Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa, empowered to elect a new Patriarch for their church, and the successor to
Abuna Qerellos IV would have the power to consecrate new bishops. This promotion was completed when Coptic Orthodox
Pope Joseph II consecrated an Ethiopian-born Archbishop,
Abuna Basilios,
14 January 1951. Then in
1959,
Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria crowned Abuna Baslios as the first Patriarch of Ethiopia.
Patriarch Abune Basilios died in
1971, and was succeeded that year by Patriarch
Abune Tewophilos. With the fall of Emperor
Haile Selassie in
1974, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church was disestablished as the
state church. The new Marxist government began nationalising property (including land) owned by the church. Patriarch Abune Tewophilos was arrested in
1976 by the
Marxist Derg military junta, and secretly executed in 1979. The government ordered the church to elect a new Patriarch, and
Abune Takla Haymanot was enthroned. The
Coptic Orthodox Church refused to recognize the election and enthronement of Abune Tekle Haymanot on the grounds that the
Synod of the Ethiopian Church hadn't removed Abune Tewophilos and that the government hadn't publicly acknowledged his death, and he was thus still legitimate Patriarch of Ethiopia. Formal relations between the two churches were halted, although they remained in communion with each other. Formal relations between the two churches resumed on July 13, 2007.
Patriarch Abune Tekle Haymanot proved to be much less accommodating to the Derg regime than it had expected, and so when the Patriarch died in 1988, a new Patriarch with closer ties to the regime was sought. The Archbishop of
Gondar, a member of the Derg-era Ethiopian Parliament, was elected and enthroned as Patriarch
Abune Merkorios. Following the fall of the
Derg regime in 1991, and the coming to power of the
EPRDF government, Patriarch Abune Merkorios abdicated under public and governmental pressure. The church then elected a new Patriarch,
Abune Paulos, who was recognized by the
Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria. The former Patriarch Abune Merkorios then fled abroad, and announced from exile that his abdication had been made under duress and thus he was still the legitimate Patriarch of Ethiopia. Several bishops also went into exile and formed a break-away alternate synod. This exiled synod is recognized by some Ethiopian Churches in North America and Europe who recognize Patriarch Abune Merkorios, while the synod inside Ethiopia continues to uphold the legitimacy of Patriarch Abune Paulos.
After
Eritrea became an independent country, the Coptic Orthodox Church granted
autocephaly to the
Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church with the reluctant approval of its mother synod, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church.
As of
2005, there are many Ethiopian Orthodox churches located throughout the
United States and other countries to which Ethiopians have migrated (Archbishop Yesehaq 1997). The church claims more than 38 million members in Ethiopia, forming about half the country's population.
Distinctive traits
Biblical canon
The Canon of the Tewahedo Church is wider than for most other Christian groups. The Ethiopian "
narrower" Old Testament Canon includes the books found in the
Septuagint accepted by other Orthodox Christians, in addition to
Enoch,
Jubilees,
1 Esdras and
2 Esdras, 3 books of Makabis, and
Psalm 151. However, the three books of the Makabis are quite different in content from the books of Maccabees of other Christian churches. The order of the other books is somewhat different from other groups', as well. The Church also has a somewhat ill-defined "broader canon" that includes more books (Mikre-Sellassie 1993). All modern printed Bibles restrict themselves to the narrower canon.
Language
The divine services of the Ethiopian Church are celebrated in the
Ge'ez language, which has been the language of the Church at least since the arrival of the
Nine Saints (Abba Pantelewon, Abba Gerima (Isaac, or Yeshaq), Abba Aftse, Abba Guba, Abba Alef, Abba Yem’ata, Abba Liqanos, and Abba Sehma), who fled persecution by the
Byzantine Emperor after the
Council of Chalcedon (
451). The
Septuagint Greek version was originally translated into Ge'ez, but later revisions show clear evidence of the use of Hebrew, Syriac, and Arabic sources. The first translation into a modern verncular was done in the 19th century by a man who is usually known as
Abu Rumi. Later,
Haile Selassie sponsored
Amharic translations of the Ge'ez Scriptures during his reign, one before World War II and one afterwards.
Sermons today are usually delivered in the local
language.
Architecture
There are many
monolithic churches in Ethiopia, most famously the twelve churches at
Lalibela. After these, two main types of architecture are found -- one
basilican, the other native. The
Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion at Axum is basilican, though the early basilicas are nearly all in ruin. These examples show the influence of those architects who, in the
6th century, built the basilicas at
Sanˤā' and elsewhere in the
Arabian Peninsula. There are two forms of native churches -- one square or oblong, traditionally found in
Tigray; the other circular, traditionally found in
Amhara and
Shewa (though either style may be found elsewhere). In both forms, the sanctuary is square and stands clear in the center and the arrangements are based on
Jewish tradition. Walls and ceilings are adorned with
frescoes. A
courtyard, circular or rectangular, surrounds the body of the church. Modern Ethiopian churches may incorporate the basilican or native styles, and utilize contemporary construction techniques and materials. In rural areas, the church and outer court are often
thatched with mud-built walls.
Ark of the Covenant
The Ethiopian church claims that one of its churches,
Our Lady Mary of Zion, is host to the original
Ark of the Covenant that
Moses carried with the
Israelites during the
Exodus. However, only one priest is allowed into the building where the Ark is located, ostensibly due to dangerous biblical warnings. As a result, international scholars doubt that the original Ark is truly there, although a case has been put forward by controversial popular writer
Graham Hancock in his book
The Sign and the Seal.
Throughout Ethiopia, Orthodox churches are not considered churches until the local bishop gives them a
tabot, a replica of the tablets in the original Ark of the Covenant. The tabot is at least six inches (15
cm) square and made from
alabaster,
marble, or wood (see
acacia). It is always kept in ornate coverings to hide it from public view. In an elaborate procession, the tabot is carried around the outside of the church amid joyful song and dance on the feast day of that particular church's namesake, and also on the great Feast of T'imk'et, known as
Epiphany or Theophany in Europe.
Similarities to Judaism
The Ethiopian church places a heavier emphasis on Old Testament teachings than one might find in the Roman Catholic or Protestant churches, and its followers adhere to certain practices that one finds in Orthodox or Conservative
Judaism. Ethiopian Christians, like some other
Eastern Christians, traditionally follow dietary rules that are similar to Jewish
Kashrut, specifically with regard to how an animal is slaughtered. Similarly, pork is prohibited, though unlike
Rabbinical Kashrut, Ethiopian cuisine does mix dairy products with meat- which in turn makes it even closer to Jewish written Torah. Women are prohibited from entering the church during menses; they're also expected to cover their hair with a large scarf (or
shash) while in church, but contrary to the teaching of most other Christian denominations, it isn't from instructions from the Old Testament that this is taken, but rather in the New (1 Cor. 11). As with Orthodox
synagogues, men and women are seated separately in the Ethiopian church, with men on the left and women on the right (when facing the altar). However, women covering their heads and separation of the sexes in the Church building officially is common to some
Oriental Orthodox,
Eastern Orthodox and
Catholic Christians and not unique to Judaism. Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers remove their shoes when entering a church, in accordance with
Exodus 3:5 (in which
Moses, while viewing the
burning bush, is commanded to remove his shoes while standing on holy ground). Furthermore, both the
Sabbath (Saturday), and the
Lord's Day (Sunday) are observed as holy, although more emphasis, because of the
Resurrection of Christ, is laid upon the Holy Sunday.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Ethiopian Orthodox Church'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://ethiopian_orthodox_tewahedo_church.totallyexplained.com">Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
