Ethiopia, a land steeped in Judeo-Christian history, stands as one of the world's oldest Christian nations. It is marked with a fascinating history, unique civilization, culture and religious life. Furthermore, historical and archaeological evidences reveal another interesting fact that Ethiopia is the only African country, which has developed its own alphabets and written language.
This great land and its people were known by the ancient Greek poets and historians such as Homer, who referred to them as, “Blameless Race.” Herodotus also indicated the country’s landscape as the area south of Egypt and around the Red Sea extending as far as the Indian Ocean. He said that the Ethiopians “lived a long life” and characterized them as “the most just men.”
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church holds a unique position in the history of Christianity. Let's delve into its rich past and explore its significant landmarks.
Early Roots of Christianity in Ethiopia
The beginning of Ethiopian Christianity could possibly be traced to the apostolic era. The Book of Acts gives the account of the Ethiopian Eunuch of Queen Candace, who was first evangelized and then baptized by the apostle Philip (Acts 8:26-36). Eusebius, the great Church historian, refers to the Ethiopian Eunuch as “the first fruit of Christianity in the whole world.” Nevertheless, it was not until the 4th century that Christianity became the official religion of the Aksumite Empire.
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This period also saw the inauguration of the Bishopric See and administration of the sacraments. This is because St. Athanasius of Alexandria consecrated St. Frementius as the first Bishop of Ethiopia during the reign of Emperors Ezana and Syzana (also called Abraha and Atsbaha). King Ezana removed from his coins the sign of the moon and replaced it with the sign of the cross. By doing so, he became “the first sovereign in the world to engrave the sign of the cross on coins.”
St. Frementius came to be known by the Ethiopians as Abba Selama, which means, “the Father of Peace” and Kesate Berhan meaning, “the Revealer of Light”. Moreover, as the first bishop of Ethiopia, he was given the title Abune, meaning “our father,” as an appellation carried henceforth by all primates of Ethiopia.
Doctrinal Foundations and Monasticism
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church accepted the three Ecumenical Councils Nicaea (A.D. 325), Constantinople (A.D. 381) and Ephesus (A.D. 431). Therefore, the Nicene-Constantinople creed has become the symbol of our faith.
The life of the Ethiopian Church was further strengthened by the coming of the Nine Saints, who came from the Byzantine Empire (479 A.D.). They translated various sacred texts from Greek and Syriac into Ge`ez, spread the Gospel and introduced monastic life. Monasticism began to flourish in Ethiopia after Christianity became the official religion of the country.
The Ethiopic monastic tradition is introduced from the order of St. Anthony in Egypt upon the arrival of the Nine Saints in A.D 480. Thus, Ethiopian ecclesiastical history regards the 4th-6th centuries as the Golden Age. This period was characterized by great evangelical and literary activities.
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Just as the monasteries in Europe helped preserve the Western cultural tradition during the Middle Ages, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and its monasteries became the center for the development of Ethiopian art, hymnody, literature and architecture. In the sixth century, St. Yared, the renowned scholar founded the scripture-based liturgical hymnody of the Ethiopian Church.
Core Doctrines of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church
The doctrinal teaching of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is firmly grounded in the five pillars of mystery, namely:
- Mystery of the Holy Trinity
- Mystery of Incarnation
- Mystery of Baptism
- Mystery of Holy Communion, and
- Mystery of Resurrection
The Mystery of the Holy Trinity
The Mystery of the Holy Trinity is the belief in the Triune God and is the core of Christian faith. The One God in whom we believe, as is one in divinity and three as distinct persons. The Ethiopian Church accepts this teaching as absolutely central to its theology and spirituality.
The Mystery of the Incarnation
The Mystery of the Incarnation is the saving entrance of God into human history. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church upholds the miaphysite Christology of St. Cyril of Alexandria: “One United Incarnate Nature of God the Son.” Thus, Christ is truly human and truly divine.
The Mystery of Baptism
The mystery of baptism is the main entrance into the Church and participation in its sacramental grace. Being the sacrament of initiation into Christian faith, Baptism is performed only once and never repeated.
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The Mystery of the Holy Communion
Christ instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion during the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday. Because man does not offer it to God, but God to humankind, the Eucharist is a sacrament through which we are far off from the dominance of sin and attain to communion with God. The Eucharist stands at the heart of the early Church*s faith and life.
The Mystery of the Resurrection
The Mystery of the Resurrection is the mystery of the eternal life in the world to come after our bodily resurrection from dead. The Church’s belief in our resurrection is based on the triumphant resurrection of Christ, the first fruit of our resurrection.
The Divine Liturgy is the center of Ethiopic worship. It is a distinctive divine service for it celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus and unceasingly bequeaths to humankind the fruits of the living tree of the cross.
Therefore, the Church’s liturgical celebration has twofold purposes:
- To praise the Almighty God and give thanks to God for the abundance grace and tremendous gifts, which the gracious Lord has given for us through Jesus Christ.
- The Holy Eucharist is not a new sacrifice, nor a repetition of the sacrifice on Calvary, since the true and innocent lamb of God is sacrificed once only, for all time.
It is remarkable to note is that Ethiopic liturgical tradition gives strong emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit. At every local celebration of the Eucharist, it is the whole Christ who is present, not just a part of Him.
The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum
The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion is an ancient site in Axum, in northern Ethiopia, and holds special significance as a place of pilgrimage for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. The church is located in the town of Axum, Tigray Region in northern Ethiopia, near the grounds of Obelisks of Axum. The original church is believed to have been built during the reign of Ezana the first Christian ruler of the Kingdom of Axum (present-day Eritrea and Ethiopia), during the 4th century AD, and has been rebuilt several times since then.
Since its founding during the episcopacy of Frumentius, the first Bishop of Axum, (known in Ethiopia as Abune Selama Kesatie Birhan or "Our Father of Peace the Revealer of Light"), the Church of Mary of Zion has been destroyed and rebuilt at least once, or twice as according to tradition.
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The compound includes the old church, a more modern cathedral built in the 1950s by Emperor Haile Selassie, and a chapel claimed to house the Ark of the Covenant (the most sacred relic of the Israelites, which contains two of the tablets of the Ten Commandments).
The Church of Saint Mary of Zion was the traditional place where Ethiopian Emperors came to be crowned. Which indeed meant if an Emperor was not crowned at Axum, or did not at least have his coronation ratified by a special service at St.
The Chapel of the Tablet
The Church of Saint Mary of Zion claims to contain the original Ark of the Covenant. Accordingly, the Ark was moved to the Chapel of the Tablet adjacent to the old church because a divine 'heat' from the Tablets had cracked the stones of its previous inner sanctum. The Ethiopian Empress Menen funded the construction of the present chapel.
At present, only the guardian monk may view the Ark, in accordance with the Biblical accounts of the dangers of doing so for non-Kohanim. This lack of accessibility, and questions about the account as a whole, has led Ethiopians and foreign scholars alike to express doubt about the veracity of the claim.
Here's a table summarizing key facts about the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Location | Axum, Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia |
| Significance | Pilgrimage site for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians |
| Claim | Houses the Ark of the Covenant |
| Original Construction | 4th Century AD, during the reign of King Ezana |
| Guardian Monk | Only person allowed to view the Ark |
Veneration of Mary and the Saints
The Church honors the Blessed Virgin Mary most of all the saints. She is venerated especially for her supreme grace and the call she received from God. The Virgin Mother of God has a very special place in the Ethiopian cult, and devotion to our Mother holds the highest place. Ethiopia is known as the country of Mary, her protectress. Among the saints in heaven she is venerated in a special way.
Our Lady is commemorated every month and there are more than thirty feasts of Mary in one year. The name of Mary is the most popular, both for men and women. Innumerable churches are erected in her honour.
Angels are venerated and honored in the Ethiopian Church. There exists a Holy Book known as the Homilies of the angels which shows how they are sent by God and come down from heaven to help and guard the faithful and destroy the wicked by divine punishment.
Our church believes in the ancient customs of honoring the heroic servants of God but it does not offer them the adoration which befits God. It has on its list of known saints hundreds of names - men and women. The saints are chosen friends of God; they are souls which have served Him well. They are deserving of our homage, because of their holiness. They are united to us, we honor them and they pray for us.
Liturgical Practices and Pilgrimages
In their liturgical practices, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians preserve as many as 14 of the ancient anaphoras (Eucharistic liturgies) that date from the early church. They also use other spiritual texts, commonly read before, during or after the Divine Liturgy. One of the most popular of these is the “Ta’amere Maryam,” or the “Miracles of Mary,” a legendary narrative about the miracles of the Virgin Mary.
A pilgrimage is often the fulfillment of a vow and sometimes the performing of an imposed penance. The church recommends pilgrimage and looks upon them as an excellent means of devotion and penance and of consequent purification and spiritual benefit. The Christians of Ethiopia make pilgrimages to Jerusalem where there is an ancient Ethiopian Monastery and special portion in the Cathedral of the Sepulchre.
Among the celebrated centres of pilgrimage domestically are: Debra Libanos in Shoa, the monastery containing the shrine of St. Tekla Haimanot; the Church of Tsion at Axum, the oldest in the country; the church of Egziaber Ab in the monastery of Gishen, home of the fragment of the True Cross; the church of St. Gabriel at Kulubi, the place of miracles where many faithful go to fulfil a “silet” or vow to the Angel in return for a request already granted.
Contemporary Presence
The 1970s saw dramatic increase in the number of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Churches in the Diaspora following the arrival of large numbers of Ethiopian immigrants in North America, Europe, Australia, Eastern and Southern Africa. In particular, the spread of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Churches in North America was facilitated under the leadership of His Grace Abune Yesehaq, who was the Archbishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in the Western Hemisphere at the time.
