The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, romanized: Yä-ityopp'ya ortodoks täwahədo betä krəstiyan) is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Tewahedo (Ge'ez: ተዋሕዶ täwaḥədo) is a Geʽez word meaning "united as one." This word refers to the Oriental Orthodox belief in Miaphysitism, meaning one perfectly unified nature of Christ; i.e., a complete union of the divine and human natures into one nature is self-evident to accomplish the divine salvation of mankind, as opposed to the "two natures of Christ" belief commonly held by the Latin and Eastern Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, and most other Protestant churches.
The Oriental Orthodox Churches are known as "non-Chalcedonian", and, sometimes by outsiders as "monophysite" (meaning "One Single Nature", in allusion to Jesus Christ).
The faith and practice of Orthodox Ethiopian Christians include elements from Miaphysite Christianity as it has developed in Ethiopia over the centuries. Christian beliefs include belief in God (in Geʽez / Amharic, ′Egziabeher, lit. "Lord of the Universe"), veneration of the Virgin Mary, the angels, and the saints, besides others.
According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church itself, there are no non-Christian elements in the religion other than those from the Old Testament, or Həggä 'Orät (ሕገ ኦሪት), to which are added those from the New Testament, or Həggä Wongel (ሕገ ወንጌል). A hierarchy of K'ədusan ቅዱሳን (angelic messengers and saints) conveys the prayers of the faithful to God and carries out the divine will, so when Ethiopian Christians are in difficulty, they appeal to them as well as to God.
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The Church of Ethiopia is one of the few Churches of Christendom where the worship of the primitive church has been preserved. This is largely due to the geographical position of Ethiopia and to the historical developments that led to her virtual isolation from the rest of the Christian world from the seventh century, as a result of which Ethiopia retained the form of worship she had received in the 4th century.
Historical Context
John Chrysostom speaks of the "Ethiopians present in Jerusalem" as being able to understand the preaching of Saint Peter described in Acts 2:38. Possible missions of some of the Apostles in the lands now called Ethiopia are also reported as early as the 4th century. Socrates of Constantinople includes Ethiopia in his list as one of the regions preached by Matthew the Apostle, where a specific mention of "Ethiopia south of the Caspian Sea" can be confirmed in some traditions such as the Roman Catholic Church among others. Ethiopian Church tradition tells that Bartholomew accompanied Matthew in a mission which lasted for at least three months. These missions are depicted in paintings by Francesco Trevisan (1650-1740) and Marco Benefial (1688-1764) in the Church of St.
Early Christianity became the established church of the Ethiopian Axumite Kingdom under king Ezana in the 4th century when priesthood and the sacraments were brought for the first time through a Syrian Greek named Frumentius, known by the local population in Ethiopia as "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 baptized Emperor Ezana. Frumentius is also believed to have established the first monastery in Ethiopia, named Dabba Selama after him. In 2016, archaeologists excavated a 4th-century AD basilica (radio-carbon dated) in northeastern Ethiopia at a site called Beta Samati.
Union with the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria continued after the Arab conquest of Egypt. Abu Saleh records in the 12th century that the patriarch 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 the observance of canonical consecration for all churches.
During the Middle Ages, the Ethiopian Church also witnessed the rise of influential monastic movements that challenged established religious and political norms. The period of Jesuit influence, which broke the connection with Egypt, began a new chapter in church history.
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In modern times, the Ethiopian Church has experienced a series of developments. The 19th century witnessed the publication of an Amharic translation of the Bible. Largely the work of Abu Rumi over ten years in Cairo, this version, with some changes, held sway until Emperor Haile Selassie ordered a new translation which appeared in 1960/1. Haile Selassie also played a prominent role in further reforms of the church, which included encouraging the distribution of Abu Rumi's translation throughout Ethiopia, as well as his promotion of improved education of clergy, a significant step in the Emperor's effort being the founding of the Theological College of the Holy Trinity Church in December 1944.
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 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.
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 nationalizing property (including land) owned by the church.
The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church was granted autocephaly from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on 28 September 1993 following ratification by Coptic church Patriarch Shenouda III, but the two remain in full communion. On 25 July 2018, delegates from the Patriarchate in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and those in the United States, declared reunification in Washington, D.C.
On 7 May 2021, a group of Tigrayan priests and bishops announced the secession of the regional clergy from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) to establish the Tigrayan Orthodox Tewahedo Church (TOTC).
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Map of Ethiopia highlighting its regions.
Liturgical Practices
In more formal and regular rituals, priests communicate on behalf of the community, and only priests may enter the inner sanctum of the usually circular or octagonal church where the tabot ("ark") dedicated to the church's patron saint is housed. On important religious holidays, the tabot is carried on the head of a priest and escorted in procession outside the church. It is the tabot, not the church, which is consecrated.
The Ethiopian Orthodox church is Trinitarian, maintaining the Orthodox teaching, formalised at the council of Nicea, that God is united in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Daily services constitute only a small part of an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian's religious observance.
The divine services of the Ethiopian Church are celebrated in Geʽez, which has been the liturgical language of the church at least since the arrival of the Nine Saints (Pantelewon, Gerima (Isaac, or Yeshaq), Aftse, Guba, Alef, Yem’ata, Liqanos, and Sehma), who are believed to have fled persecution by the Byzantine Empire after the Council of Chalcedon (451). The Greek Septuagint was the version of the Old Testament 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 vernacular was done in the 19th century by a man usually known as Abu Rumi (died 1819).
The internal structure of the circular and octagonal churches consists of three concentric rings. The innermost part is the Maqdes or Sanctuary, also know as the Qeddusa Queddusan or Holy of Holies, where the Tabot or Ark rests; only priests and deacons have access to it. The Tabot represents the Ark of the Covenant, believed to have been brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I, the son of King Solomon. It rests upon the Menbir, which may be said to correspond to the alter in other Churches. The sanctity of a church depends upon the presence of the Tabot and without it services cannot be held. The blessing of the Tabot by the Abuna constitutes the consecration of the church.
The second chamber is the Keddist, which is reserved for communicants, who receive the Sacrament, the women segregated from the men. Only those who feel pure, have fasted regularly and have conducted themselves blamelessly receive Communion. For this reason communicants are usually babes-in-arms, infants and the very old.
The third division is the outer ambulatory which is known as the Qene Mahelet (the place of the cantors). The Qene Mahelet is divided into three sections by curtains. The western part is occupied by the Debteras or cantors who sing hymns and praise God to the accompaniment of musical instruments, drums, prayer-sticks an sistra.
One can distinguish two types of church service in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, indoor and outdoor. The former is conducted in the Holy of Holies by priests and deacons. A minimum of five persons, two priests and three deacons, is required to celebrate Mass. In certain monasteries a minimum of seven persons is still required. The celebrants are required to abstain from food for at least twelve hours in advance.
The church of Ethiopia has fourteen Anaphoras, a unique phenomenon in any Christian Church. Each is used on special occasions to mark the observance of a particular holy day. Through the Anaphoras differ in length and content, they have common characteristics. They stress the Incarnations, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. In principle the Mass is conducted in Ge’ez, the ancient classical and liturgical language of Ethiopia. Today, however, the readings and certain portions of the liturgy are in the vernacular, Amharic.
Principles of Prayer
According to the EOTC traditions, prayer is speaking to God to glorify Him, thank Him for the past, and ask for His blessings in the future. It is also an opportunity to ask God for the forgiveness of sins that we have committed.
The Fetha Negest, or Law of the Kings, reminds us that prayer is man’s way of communicating with Almighty God. In prayer, man thanks God, praises Him and recognizes His domain, confessing hid sin and seeking on his part the way of pleasing Him.
The following precepts are laid down for one who prays:
- He should stand up, as enjoined on the words of the Lord; “When you rise up for prayer; you shall stand up.”
- He should gird himself with girdle; as the Lord has said “Let your loins be girt.”
- He should turn towards the east, for that is the direction from which Christ will appear in His second coming.
- He should make the sign of the cross from the forehead downward and from left to right.
- He should recite the prayer in fear and trembling.
Prostration plays an important part in worship in the Ethiopian church. The faithful are enjoined to begin prayer by prostrating themselves once or thrice and to do the same at the end of prayer. At certain times kneeling or genuflection is substituted for complete prostration, i.e. on Sundays, the days of Pentecost, the feast days of our lord and our lady, and also after receiving the Eucharist.
The faithful should pray seven times each day. First upon arising from bed in the morning and before beginning work. The morning and evening prayers should be said in church, especially on Saturdays and Sundays. Anyone who omits prayer, unless he is ill, should be cut off from the congregation of the faithful. Anyone who is sick should attend church if he possibly can, for he may be healed. The other prayers should be said at home.
Fasting Traditions
An important religious requirement is the keeping of fast days, during which adherents abstain from consuming meat and animal products, and refrain from sexual activity. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has 250 fasting days, 180 of which are obligatory for lay people, not just monks and priests, when vegan food is eaten by the faithful.
According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC), fasting is the abstinence from food and drink to attain forgiveness of sins and reward. It serves to weaken the body, so that it may obey the will of the soul. It is strictly observed by all baptized members of the church.
During fasting periods, Christians abstain from meat and all animal products: meat, milk, butter and eggs. No food or drink is taken before noon, at the earliest: even then only a simple repast should be taken. Pregnant women, the seriously sick and travelers are exempted from fasting.
Examples of fasting periods include:
- Fast of the Apostles-10-40 days, which the Apostles kept after they had received the Holy Spirit.
- The fast of the prophets-The fast preceding Christmas, 40 days (Advent).
- The Fast of Nineveh-commemorating the preaching of Jonah.
Holy Days
Nine major and nine minor holy days are observed in the church of Ethiopia. All are connected with events in the life of Christ.
Examples include:
- The Incarnation
- The Birth of Christ
- Epiphany
- Hosanna (palm Sunday)
- Crucifixion
- Easter
- Debra Tabor (feast of mount tabor)
- The Ascension
- Pentecost
Other feast days include one for each of the twelve Apostles. The martyrs, St. George, St. Stephen and St. John the Baptist are also commemorated. Other important holy days are those in commemoration of St. Michael and St. Mary and of the grate religious reformer, the Emperor Zar’a Ya’iqob. No less than thirty-three holy days are devoted to St. Mary. An indication of the special veneration attached to the Blessed Virgin in Ethiopia.
A feature of feast days in the Ethiopian Church is that many of them are commemorated monthly and not only annually. As in the rest of the Christian world Sunday is observed as a day of rest. In former times Saturday, the Biblical Sabbath, was also observed.
On holy days believers are expected to refrain form heavy labor and manual tasks, such as farming, forging metal and weaving. Various transactions are permitted, however. On these days ot os customary to carry out charitable and philanthropic acts, to visit the sick or those in prison and to arrange reconciliation between those who have quarreled.
Sacramentals
SACRAMENTALS are certain prayers, action, and things which have been blessed by the church that we obtain from God spiritual and temporal benefit by their devout use. They obtain these benefits for us through the faith we bring to their use and through the prayers which the church offers for those who use them.
The most important sacramental of our Church and the one most frequently used is the sign of the cross. Whenever we use it we are reminded of the sufferings and death of our Blessed Saviour. It is the symbol of our deliverance and the emblem of the mercy of God giving redemption to sinful man. It is made from above downwards and from left to right with fingers in the form of a cross. No ceremony in the liturgy is performed without the sign of the cross. A priest confers blessings by the cross. In the administration of all the sacraments this sign is used at least once and in some of them it is employed many times. The sign of the cross is made over water at its blessing. In the Holy Liturgy or Mass the celebrant makes the sign of the cross very frequently over the people, the Sacred Host and the Precious Blood etc.
An example of an Ethiopian Cross.
The cross is one of the most important of the Ethiopian church emblems which symbolizes the redemption through the death of Jesus Christ. The traditional story of the Finding of the True Cross by St. Helena is of great antiquity and the event is commemorated by the church on the Festival of the Finding of the Cross called Masqal, occurring, on 27th of September. In every church there are many crosses of wood and silver, some small and some large bearing the picture of the Crucifixion.
The Ethiopian cross is generally the Greek cross with elaboration, much used for ornamental and practical purposes. The cross is one of the insignia of clergymen; the priest or the bishop always holds in his left hand a cross which is kissed by the people indoors and outdoors. It is used in the Mass, in the administration of the sacraments, in processions, on the tombs of the dead and on many various occasions. Attached to a cord or fine chain it is worn around the neck of nearly all Christians right from childhood until death.
Holy water is blessed by the priest for the purpose of seeking from God a blessing on those who use it and protection from the powers of darkness. It is a symbol of interior cleaning, interior purification. Holy water is used in the blessing of everything which the church wishes to sanctify. Besides the use of baptismal water, the sprinkling with holy water is part of many ceremonies. After the birth of a child the Confessor priest asperses the house and all within with holy water; cords for the neck (mateb) are blessed and demons are exorcised with holy water. If a man is sick, sometimes Holy water is supplied for drinking, pouring over his hands, and sprinkling his face and body.
The word vestment is from the Latin, and signifies simply clothing, but it is now used generally to denote the garments worn by the ministers of religion in the performance of their sacred duties. The church ordinarily permits the use of many colors in the sacred vestments such as white, red, blue, violet and black. The Bishop, in addition to the priest's garments uses a crown and a pastoral staff ending in two entwined serpents with a cross between them and carries a small hand cross with which to bless the people. Holy oil are used in the administration of the Sacraments, as well as in various consecrations and blessings of persons and things.
The use of lights as an adjunct to worship goes back to the beginning of the church. Beeswax candles are the ones we use for liturgical purposes and many of the faithful vow candles to a church. Lighter candles are placed on the altars. They are used to Mass, processions, administration of the sacraments, at funerals or at the notification of excommunication. Three candles are ordinarily used upon the altar.
Beads are devices for counting prayers. Prayers which are known are said repeatedly on beads, especially 'kyrie elison,' and an account is kept by strings of beads. The beads are not arranged in-groups of ten small beads as in the Rosary of the Roman Catholic Church. They may be of any suitable substance not, easily broken.
The Palm is emblematic of victory and used to denote triumph and victory. The Ethiopian Church remembers the Saviour's entrance into Jerusalem a few days before His death by blessing and distributing palms on palm Sunday or Hosanna Sunday when the people conducted Jesus in triumph through the city gate spreading their garments before Him as a mark of homage and went before Him in joyful procession carrying palms and chanting Hosanna of praise. (Mark. 11: 8- 10). On this day the believers tie a piece of palm around the wrist.
Incense is a granulate aromatic resin. When sprinkled on a glowing coals it burns freely and emits an abundant white smoke of very fragrant odor. Incensing as a part of the Ethiopian church ceremonial goes back to an early day. Its use forms a prominent feature of the service. Not only persons but inanimate things are thus honored; things which are in themselves sacred such as relics, things which have been previously blessed, such as altars and the book of the gospels, and things to which a blessing is being given such as the bodies of the dead and sepulchers.
The use of bells general or religious purposes in the Ethiopian church is ancient. The church bell is useful not only for summoning the faithful to religious services, but also for giving an alarm when danger threatens. The bell is used for many purposes - at the death of a certain person to remind the faithful of the Christian duty of praying for his eternal repose during Mass, at consecration, procession, distribution of the Holy Communion to the faithful, or taking Holy Communion to the sick.
Priests intervene and perform exorcisms on behalf of those believed to be afflicted by demons or buda. It includes singing praise and victory songs, reading from the Scripture, prayer and confronting the spirit in the name of Jesus. Dialogue with the spirit is another important part of the exorcism ceremony. It helps the counsellor (exorcist) to know how the spirit was operating in the life of the demoniac. The exorcism is not always successful.
