Since this story [below] from Addis Standard appeared on Thursday 2nd February, there has been another announcement, indicating a deepening crisis.
The Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) in Addis Abeba has declared the faithful to observe the upcoming three days of Fast of Nineveh which will be observed from Monday 06 to Wednesday 08 February, by wearing black to protest against what it said is a government supported coup attempt to overthrow the Holy Synod by the “illegal group.”
“On the occasion of the Fast of Nineveh, Christians all over the world wear only black clothes, take vows in fasting and prayer by being present in the premises of the Church. We wear black clothes to express perseverance in suffering,” the statement said.
In declaring the three days’ prayers by wearing black, the Synod said that despite its decisions to excommunicate the breakaway archbishops and their nominee episcopate ,who now refer to themselves as Holy Synod of Oromia and Nations and Nationalities, they “are unable to refrain from their actions and with the help of government forces, they are doing great damage by forcibly invading and breaking the pontificates and offices administered by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.”
Addis Standard 3 February 2023
Addis Abeba – In a rare and strongly worded response to Prime Minister Abiy’ Ahmed’s remarks on the ongoing crisis [see story below] that has fractured the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), the Holy Synod of the church issued a statement last night rejecting, rebuffing, fact-checking and criticizing the Prime Minister’s talking points point by point.
The Synod also issued ultimatum to the government “to carry out the responsibilities assigned by the constitution by upholding the institutional supremacy of the Church, the rights and interests given to it by law, and by giving appropriate correction to the illegal actions” by the breakaway Archbishops, and alternatively, threatened to call for a worldwide protest if corrective measures were not to be taken.
In a clear sign of a worrying times ahead, the Holy Synod emphasized that unless the crisis is resolved and the rights of the church are upheld, the Synod will organize worldwide demonstrations by its members against the government, to inform the international community the catastrophe the church is facing.
Addressing the Premier’s reflections that “the current situation in the Orthodox Church is very simple and it can be resolved through dialogue.” the Synod said he “underestimated” the seriousness of the matter and sidelined the decision by the Holy Synod to excommunicate the three breakaway archbishops and the 25 appointee episcopate, and accused the PM saying that Synod believes this description is equivalent to the state’s interference in the church’s internal affairs by putting aside the canonical decisions of the church.
With regard to the PM’s assertions that “both sides have truth, and both are our fathers, we do not favor or oppose one over the other”, the Synod criticized the statement as creating an equivalence between “the legally recognized church with the illegal group denounced by the church.” It added that considering the two sides as equals, encourages “illegality and sidesteps the government’s responsibility to protect and guarantee legal institutions”.
The Synod out-rightly rejected PM’s Abiy’s reflections for dialogue through negotiations saying that to be “united through negotiation,” gives the church in the position to violate religious guidelines, destroy canonical systems, and accept the breakaway group as equals in the administrative structure of the Church.
“The instruction not only encourages disorder but also imposes on the executives to hesitate in fulfilling their responsibilities and it nullifies their constitutional authority,”Holy Synod
The statement also lashed out at the PM’s instruction to members of his cabinet “not to interfere”, saying that it will cripple the efforts of government executives, at all levels, who have been making significant efforts to protect the peace and security of the people.
“The instruction not only encourages disorder but also imposes on the executives to hesitate in fulfilling their responsibilities and it nullifies their constitutional authority,” the Synod stated.
The Holy Synod told the government these issued should be rectified and the government must fulfill its constitutional responsibility of ensuring the rule of law and the security of institutions, as it is a duty that calls into question the rule of law, the statement underlined.
“State and religion are separate as it is clearly stipulated in the constitution and the church believes that the government should not interfere in the religious and canonical affairs of the church,” the Synod said.
It also stated serious accusations that “in East Wollega, Kelem Welega and Horo Gudru zones, members of the special forces of the Oromia National Regional Government, under the special patrol escort and care, forcibly broke into the legal institutions of the church, and the religious and administrative institutions of the church were invaded by the illegal groups.” Clerics and administrative staff of the church who opposed the illegal take over of the Church by the breakaway group were detained, legal vehicles of the church were denied of movement and to be used for any service.
“The fact that all these were done under the leadership of the state government led us to the belief that the government has violated the constitution and interfering in religious matters, and with its approval, a coup d’état on the synod is taking place,” the Synod said, further cautioning the government to ensure the necessary protection and life insurance for the bishops and officials of the church to carry out their responsibilities in the dioceses where they have been assigned to work without harassment or security risks in line with the legal status of the Holy Synod’s administrative structure.
On the remarks by the PM that with his government’s support “two patriarchs have been in charge of one chair” after the exiled Synod was returned home, the Holy Synod said it was factually incorrect and failed to reflect the reality on ground, as the roles of the late Abune Merkorios, the 4th Patriarch, after his return from exile were only to serve as spiritual figurehead of the Church and not who doubled as a Patriarch. This argument was rather forwarded as cover to allow “the illegal pontificate and subversion of the Synod” by the breakaway group in violation of the religious, canonical and administrative practices of the Church, the Synod said.
According to the statement, the appointment of the bishops who returned with the late Abune Merkoriosto to the country and become members of the Holy Synod was not made in violation of the canon, as was indicated in the PM’s remarks.
“The fact that all these were done under the leadership of the state government led us to the belief that the government has violated the constitution and interfering in religious matters, and with its approval, a coup d’état on the synod is taking place,”Holy Synod
The Synod also strongly reacted against the Premier’s remarks that neither he, nor his government can suppress the demands of people for the “right to serve” in one’s language. “The long history of the church proves that it has recognized language services in its laws, and even more so, especially since it has been providing language services” to the followers of the church living in the Oromia regional state. “The church contributed to the ministry by translating the Christian books of worship and rituals into Oromo language, including the three bishops who were revoked who had made their illegal appointment and the assignment of many bishops who speak the language was made,” according to the statement.
In what seemed to be an attempt to respond in detail to the accusations that the Church lacked the language diversity, the Synod further went on saying that “the church has opened spiritual colleges so that the indigenous people of the region can learn in their language and become fit for service. It organized priest training institutions in all dioceses and taught the gospel to thousands of serving priests, deacons, and preachers,” and demanded to “correct the explanation that the church opposed the language services and closed the doors.”
The other issued the Synod criticized the Prime Minister was his assertion that unlike any governments, his government granted land and property the church. The Synod said it was the legal property that the church has been using for centuries and it has been asking for it to be confirmed with a title deed; it was not new property that was acquired by the church with a grace of the state. Although it was not given to her as stated, and even if it was, given the fact that more than 75% of the population of Addis Abeba are followers of the Church, it shouldn’t have been counted as a special privilege as the PM portrayed it to be, the Synod contested
This rebuke by the Synod also extended to the PM’s remarks that his government has been helping the rehabilitation of the world heritage site at Lalibela Rock Hewn Churches Church, being financed by the French government. The site is a tourist destination from which the government is bagging permanent source of income, the statement said.
Refuting the Prime Minister;s explanation that there were no such uproar when religious fathers in Tigray decided to severe relations with the Synod saying that the “synod uttered nothing about religious fathers in Tigray, so it is inappropriate to protests when it occurred in Oromia”, the Synod has pushed back at the argument that saying religious fathers in Tigray region and the entire Christian population did not establish an “illegal Synod in violation of the laws and canons of the church. They did not appoint bishops.” It demanded the Prime Minister to correct the explanation given in “the comparison of the two unrelated actions in a situation that pretends to give legal cover to the illegal appointment and a coup d’état.”
Background
On 26 January the principal Holy Synod of the EOTC have excommunicated three breakaway Archbishops and 25 appointee episcopate accusing them of involving in “illegal anointment” without the knowledge of the church. On Saturday 28 January, the three archbishops and 25 episcopate also excommunicated 12 Archbishops of EOTC Holy Synod members in a counter measure, followed by dispatching over the weekend, bishops to their assigned dioceses.
The event that led to what has now potentially become a split of the EOTC happened at the Haro Beale Wold Church in Woliso city of the South-West Shoa zone in Oromia Regional State, on 22 January, where His Holiness Abune Sawiros (PhD), Archbishop of South West Shoa Diocese, together with two other Archbishops, appointed 26 bishops: 17 bishops for dioceses located in the Oromia region, and nine bishops for dioceses outside Oromia without the involvement of the Holy Synod, creating widespread shock and anger among many of the church’s followers.
His Holiness Abune Sawiros explained the decision to appoint the 26 episcopate was made to resolve long lasting problems within the church for failing to serve believers in their native languages and detached of their culture, which resulted in loss of millions of believers over the past years particularly in Oromia and Southern region.
However, the appointment was called “illegal” by his Holiness Abune Mathias I, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) who convened an emergency meeting to deal with the event he described as “a great event that has targeted the church.”
Since then the breakaway Archbishops who formed the “Holy Synod of Oromia and Nations and Nationalities.” are dispatching nominee episcopate to their local dioceses and claim that they are being received with “overwhelming” public welcome from the faithful.
The Prime Minister’s remarks that the Synod strongly reacted to in its statement yesterday was the first public remark since the crisis, in which he said that on the controversy should be addressed with the leaders of the Church settling their differences through dialogue and discussion. He also defended his government’s track record of helping the Church in the face of growing criticisms, including by the Ezema party, of roles being played by the ruling party to divide the church by helping the breakaway Archbishop.
Analysis: PM Abiy weighs in with call for dialogue in the deepening crisis within Orthodox Church as accusations of state interference grow louder
- Source: Addis Standard
Addis Abeba – Addressing cabinet members who were convened for a six-month performance evaluation of government ministries, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed broke his silence with a remark on the ongoing controversy within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), and called on leaders of the Church to resolve their differences through dialogue and discussion. He also defended his government’s track record of helping the Church in the face of growing criticisms, including by the Ezema party, of roles being played by the ruling party to divide the church by helping the breakaway Archbishops.
The PM’s remark came amid growing criticisms that his government is siding with the breakaway archbishops and security forces are detaining and pressuring religious leaders who are against the breakaway archbishops.
In a video posted to his Facebook page on Tuesday, PM Abiy said that religious institutions should cleanse their insides from “politics, thievery and racism”, which he said were contrary to the principles and values of religious. But the trend has been repeatedly witnessed in the Ethiopian case, he said, leaving a trail of “breaking up history, hindering development, and damaging social coexistence.”
The Synod led by Abune Merkorios had established itself in the #US as the “only legitimate” synod, while the one in Ethiopia was to be led by Abune Paulos (Pic), who died in 2012 aged 76. The 27 years split is considered as one of the bitter chapters in the history of the church pic.twitter.com/HWFteAEIhI— Addis Standard (@addisstandard) August 1, 2018
PM Abiy compared his government with the government’s of the past, specifically the Derg, which he said had “killed”, and the EPRDF, which he said had “expelled” with a letter, the respective Patriarchs of the Church.
Further refuting growing claims that his government was playing a role in the current controversy between the two groups of the church and went on calculating the number of buildings and the size of land his government made available to the Church
He credited the incumbent Prosperity Party-led government of his as one that has supported the Church unlike the previous regimes by mentioning the involvement of the government in bringing the late Abune Merkorios, the 4th Patriarch of the Church, after 27 years in exile. The Patriarch was deposed during the early days of the EPRDF government in what is widely believed by the faithful to be a politically motivated decision, leading to the exile of the late Abune Merkorios who had established a separate Synod in the U.S., effectively splitting the Church until the exiled Synod was reunited after the late Abune Merkorios and his Synod members arrived in Addis Abeba on 01 August 2018. In his remark yesterday the Prime Minister credited his government as having accomplished. “What we did was to try and reconcile and unite the two”, he said, adding that this was one of the “fundamental differences” of his government with the governments of the past. “This is not an ordinary matter.”
Further refuting growing claims that his government was playing a role in the current controversy between the two groups of the church and went on calculating the number of buildings and the size of land his government made available to the Church; he said that his government has facilitated the return of two buildings which were confiscated by previous regimes to the Church, and “granted” the size of 1,045,000 square meter land in the capital Addis Abeba only in he last four years alone, “three times more” than his government “granted” to other major religious institutions including Islam, Catholic and Evangelical denominators combined, which he said was about 350,000 square meter land.
While defending his government against the accusations, PM Abiy also admitted that the government has sent mediators to advise the leaders of the EOTC to calmly discuss and resolve the issues, which he said was rejected.
“It is possible to resolve it without suppressing people’s right and demand to use one’s own language”PM Abiy
He reflected on the complaints from the breakaway Archbishops of long standing discrimination on appointments of bishops and problems in relation to getting religious services in one’s own languages as major causes of the ongoing disagreements, the PM said his government cannot stop the demands of the people from getting answered.
“It may not be possible to appoint hundred bishops overnight for Oromia but over a longer period, and by listening to the people’s demands, it is possible to resolve the issue, so that such issues of language, race, politics etc cannot destruct a big institution like this,” he said.
“It is possible to resolve it without suppressing people’s right and demand to use one’s own language,” he added, noting that the government cannot ignore questions being raised in Oromia and Southern regions; why they cannot be ministered with their own languages like Amhara and Tigray regions where Amharic and Tigrigna are used for church services.
PM Abiy has also remarked about the decision taken last year by Tigray region members of the Church to distance themselves from the Holy Synod in Addis Abeba and establish the Tigrayan Orthodox Church Patriarchate over the latter’s silence of the killings of priests and destruction of churches in the Tigray war; he said that no one had objected the decision.
The PM’s remarks, however, may not sit well with the Holy Synod after on Sunday 29 January, His Holiness Abune Mathias I, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), the principal holy Synod urged the government and the wider population to help with ensuring respect to the dogma and canon of the “historic Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church”, and pleaded for caution and protection by security forces to avoid “the blood of innocent Christians” from being spilled.
In what seems to be the exact opposite of that, PM Abiy said “there is no group that we either support or oppose, both groups are Orthodoxes, and both have demands and their own truths”.
He warned that the consequences can be disastrous for both groups and for the country at large if they fail to resolve the issue with discussion and in a calm spirit, adding that there are forces who want to intervene and use the agenda for their own interests. He also warned his cabinet members not to intervene in any way.
The video of PM’s denial of government intervention was released a few hours after the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (Ezema) party issued a statement in which it accused the government of interference in the matter and expressed “concerns” by “measures that security forces are taking.”
“Several interventions by the government has been noted” the party said, without revealing the nature of the interventions, and called on the government to refrain from its acts. The party also inquired the government to take measure against individuals and groups with political agenda who want to intervene in the internal issues of the church.
Background
On 26 January the principal Holy Synod of the EOTC have excommunicated three breakaway Archbishops and 25 appointee episcopate accusing them of involving in “illegal anointment” without the knowledge of the church. On Saturday 28 January, the three archbishops and 25 episcopate also excommunicated 12 Archbishops of EOTC Holy Synod members in a counter measure, followed by dispatching over the weekend, bishops to their assigned dioceses.
The event that led to what has now potentially become a split of the EOTC happened at the Haro Beale Wold Church in Woliso city of the South-West Shoa zone in Oromia Regional State, on 22 January, where His Holiness Abune Sawiros (PhD), Archbishop of South West Shoa Diocese, together with two other Archbishops, appointed 26 bishops: 17 bishops for dioceses located in the Oromia region, and nine bishops for dioceses outside Oromia without the involvement of the Holy Synod, creating widespread shock and anger among many of the church’s followers.
His Holiness Abune Sawiros explained the decision to appoint the 26 episcopate was made to resolve long lasting problems within the church for failing to serve believers in their native languages and detached of their culture, which resulted in loss of millions of believers over the past years particularly in Oromia and Southern region.
However, the appointment was called “illegal” by his Holiness Abune Mathias I, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) who convened an emergency meeting to deal with the event he described as “a great event that has targeted the church.” AS
Martin Plaut 
The problems lies with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOC) leaders of the Church who has old age mentality ,they never accepted languages diversity,and authomouse region ,specially oromo can’t worshipped god in thier own language and thier own pops.
In other hand they are corrupted and politician rather spiritual leader.
Why they not apply Amharic in Amhara region.
What so ever goes on Amhara is right ,oromo are illegal in thier own territory .this not fair and not acceptable by any means.
Oromo has a right of faith and worship without this corrupt intity influence.
Of course it sad to hear and see this big church facing such unpleasant challenges, which could have potential to create crack within the followers and the church by itself.
Taking the responsibility of the church all its members of the Synod were either they support or the remain silent while all the genocide were happened in Tigrai. Some of them even they compared Tigrians with devil and the prefer with the later. Significant number of priests were joining the military force and flew to the field to motivate and mobilize to continue the war.
In general they all are against Tegaru even the never condom the destruction of churches and loathing of historical assets of the church. Hence, what is happening right now is a cumulative effect of what they have done and follow the crisis of Tigrai in the last two years and still continue.
The illegal group is the one that Denise people’s rights to pray, to be served and preach by their own languages. Religious institutions have moral duty and legal obligations to provide Religious services by languages the people can speak, read and write. The Orthodox leaders use the church as a tool to abuse, dehumanise ,assimilate and exploit Oromo and Southern nations and nationalities for hundreds of years. The current turmoil is the struggle between Old views ( attempt to continue Amharaization of Orthodox church ) and the new views (making church for all believers and followers).
“The instruction passed by Abiy Ahmed to members of his cabinet « nullifies their constitutional authority, »This statement is written by Fanos and socalled mahibrekidusan, a political organization operating in and in the name of EOTC.
EOTC « threatened to call for a worldwide protest if corrective measures were not to be taken »This is worldly unholy remark made by the current EOTC leaders.
“It is possible to resolve it without suppressing people’s right and demand to use one’s own language”PM Abiy . Abiy Ahmed has shown himself being possessing higher spiritual and conflict resolving skills than these synod leaders.Beacuse Bible don’t encourage hate speech and stubbornness.The followers of EOTC , mainly ethnic amhara group members,are busy as bee in an organized non-Christian activities : defamation, cyber attacks, bullying, posting photos and videos of our bishops of displaying their personal younghood private lives.Abiy told EOTC leaders » as you are spiritual leaders , you should not engage in secular short-lived politics. As you all know, EOTC synod and its members were sponsoring the war in Tigray and they gave the sacred church yard for Fanos, amhara killing squad, to do military training.
Addressing the Premier’s reflections that “the current situation in the Orthodox Church is very simple and it can be resolved through dialogue. Yes resoliving conflict in dialogue is not new for the church , on 325 at Nicaea(ancient Greek city in the north-western Anatolian region of Bithynia) they discussed with Arius who disparaged Our Lord Jesus Christ as a mere man refusing to accept the divinity& eternity of Christ,incarnated God the Son.
« creating an equivalence between “the legally recognized church with the illegal group denounced by the church ».How could someone strive to persuade a secular governing body who lead both Orthodox and non-Orthodox population to favor for him/her like that. Excommunication made by one church can’t be accepted by the state.State authorities are leaders of nations and nationalities.
« PM’s instruction to members of his cabinet “not to interfere”, saying this because they were seeking to manipulate cabinet members for their own benefit to help them imprison bishops of Oromia and enable them occupy Oromia.
The Synod of EOTC stated« State and religion are separate « but still eager to manipulate cabinet members and Abiy Ahmed for their own economic stance by controlling Oromia. Oromia belongs to Oromia and churches in Oromia are built by the riches of Oromo People. It is better to preach peace and reconcile based on biblical teaching.
« his(His Holiness Abune Merkorios(the late) return from exile were only to serve as spiritual figurehead of the Church and not who doubled as a Patriarch not made in violation of the canon. It was uncanonical but they did accept His return because He was from Amhara ethnic group.
« የሁሉም ቤተእምነት ተከታዮች ሁሉ ኢትዮጵያዊነት የሚሰማው ሁሉ ከኦርቶዶክስ ጎን ቆመን ይህንን የመንግስት ዱርየነት ስራ ማውገዝ አለብን። እኔ የፕሮተስታንት አማኝ በቃለ ሕይወት ቤተክርስቲያንም ተወልጄ ያደግሁ የቤተክርስቲያንቷም አገልጋይ ነኝ። ነገር ግን ይህንን ክፉና አሳፋሪ የዱሪየዎች ስብስብን ስራ በጥብቅ አወግዛለሁ »
As you can see from Above comment copied from a youtube channel run by Amhara youtubers, they are inciting every amhara member , regadless of his religion, to support them and help them look as if they are pursuing genuine biblical foundation for their hate speech and violence against Oromo Bishops. To the amazement of everyone, They are seeking to control Oromia and its riches in our own land. Don’t forget teh fact that they prohibited our bishops from obtaining a burial place and religious funeral services(Obsequies) in their unbiblical excommunication.We can assure the fact that there is fano political element in the statement made by the church.
Amhara religious elites , we have no problem with ordinary Orthodox church believer , including non-orthodox Ethiopian, are deluding the laity to become martyr as if our people and our bishops are against the teaching of the church. When Christians and priests were massacred they didn’t instruct the laity to wear sackcloth , but now they are persuading them to wear black dress for the sake of power and money in Oromia which is their blood vessel, as they described it.
« « Tigray church leaders did not establish an “illegal Synod in violation of the laws and canons of the church. They did not appoint bishops. »
Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo church(TOTC) already officially announced the split , and EOTC synod is avoiding the fact to persuade by saying TOTC didn’t appoint bishops and set up synod . It is a matter of time and arrangement for already splitted church like Holiest TOTC to appoint its own bishops and patriarch.Simply saying synod of EOTC is escaping from the truth while defending its own unbibilical standing.They despise your expertise based on your ethnicity , you can’t believe it.Coptic church were also amassing riches of the EOTC for 1600 by writing selfish unGodly teaching in the canonical writings of the church ordering Ethioipians not to appoint their own archbishops and patriarch, acoording to Fiteha Negest(በፍትሐ ነግስቱ ዓንቀጽ 4፣ ቁጥር 50 ) and manipulating Psalm 68:31 KJV.Canonical laws can be amended but not dogmatic teaching and biblical instructions as shown in the church history.
EOTC is famous for corruption, its employees pay more than 10,000 ETB to get hired in highly paying dioceses, and some use wealthy people and influencial laity who work in the parish church council. And there is ahuge prsence of sorcery and incantation of satanic writings in honor of Devil to be charismatic, and obtain self-protection etc and harm others , un biblical items are interposed in the tentes of the church.
Lastly, we advise everyone to stop being stuborn and come to the table and reconcile and stop inciting violence among brothers and sisters of Oromo and Amahar people who share the same country and religion(Orthodox Tewahedo Church).
—-Stop violence and your demonstration as it may bring loss of sacred lives in vain . It would not be a martyrdom to clash with your brother and sister in the same faith , including with anyone who don’t came to force you to change your religion and burn your church. Don’t twist the bible for your own carnal lust and delude the laity . Dear Martin, EOTC synod is avoiding the fact and manipulating certain facts to somther the fact. Patriarch mean a father and synod is a meeting and not found in the Bible saying one synod and one patriarch.
Stop saying” come and receive martyrdom, there is no intruder but Bishops of one church and brothers and sisters of one church!!