Ethiopian Christianity

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graceandfaith

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I just watched a very interesting documentary about Ethiopian Christianity. My question is… Ethiopian Christianity has deep deep roots. Most of the entire country was converted around the year 500(ish). They were, however cut off from the mother church for many years. Are Ethiopian Christians in union with Rome today? If so, would the very prolonged separation be a problem for this union?
 
There are, I believe, Ethiopian Catholics. But they are few and most of them are Orthodox. Not sure who are they in communion with, probably the Copts, who is their mother Church.
 
ConstantineTG said:
There are, I believe, Ethiopian Catholics. But they are few and most of them are Orthodox. Not sure who are they in communion with, probably the Copts, who is their mother Church.
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Yeah, you’re right: the Ethiopian Orthodox are part of the Oriental Orthodox Church.
 
The Ethiopian Tewahado Orthodox are, indeed Oriental Orthodox and in communion with the other Churches of the Oriental Orthodox Communion (the Coptic, Eritrean, Armenian, Syriac, and Syro-Malankara Orthodox). The Ethiopians are a patriarchal Church and are of the Ge’ez Tradition within the Alexandrian Rite (the other Tradition within that Rite being the Coptic). They serve the Ùér’ata Qéddase (Divine Liturgy) of St Basil, using Ge’ez, an ancient liturgical tongue.

There is also a small Ethiopian (Ge’ez) Catholic Church, which also includes Eritrean Catholics. It is of Metropolitan status.
 
graceandfaith said:
I just watched a very interesting documentary about Ethiopian Christianity. My question is… Ethiopian Christianity has deep deep roots. Most of the entire country was converted around the year 500(ish). They were, however cut off from the mother church for many years. Are Ethiopian Christians in union with Rome today? If so, would the very prolonged separation be a problem for this union?
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As mentioned above, the church is Alexandrian, the mother church is Coptic. Legend has it that the first successful Christian missionaries were from Syria, and would have been Antiochian, but the region was canonically under the Pope of Alexandria, and today has it’s own Patriarch in communion with the Pope of Alexandria.

As a historical note, the Roman Catholic church tried to take it over twice in the more recent past. Both times it turned out badly. The first time, the Portuguese Jesuits actually took control in an abusive manner and had to be forced out, the second time the Lazarist missionary De Jacobis tried to get one of his monks elected to patriarch.

If it were treated with the respect it deserves, I am sure there is every possibility of communion between the Tewahedo church and the churches under the Pope. Then there would be desirable harmony in Christianity in that part of the world.

But just don’t try to “take over”, as in the past. 🙂
 
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