Excommunicated Archbishops Declare a New Ethnical Synod in Tigray, Ethiopia

ESG – OCP News Service – 26/10/2024

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia: A renegade group of excommunicated former archbishops and former monks in Axum, Tigray, who had established a “Church Council” named “Menbere Selama” and have been “ordaining” bishops uncanonically for the past year, have stated on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 that they have established an ethnical and regional “Synod” named the “Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church Synod” based on their newly codified “Church Law” after a meeting that lasted three days (from October 21 – 23, 2024).

In their released statement which had sixteen points they stated that “Abune” Merha Kirstos would be the chairperson of the “Synod” and “Abune” Aregawi would be the secretary. They also “approved” 139 million birr as the budget for the year 2024/25. In addition, the newly established “Synod” threatened to take “canonical” actions upon the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church if It does not stop Its involvement in the matters of the “Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Tigray”.

This is the second attempt in three years that ethnically motivated archbishops and former archbishops tried to split the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Previously, presently repentant ethnic Oromo archbishops established a “Synod of Nationalities” that caused the death of several clergy and faithful in Oromia which was condemned by fraternal Churches across the globe.

This news comes as the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church led by His Holiness Abune Matthias is convened for Its biannual meeting.

Sources:
-Tsion Media
-VOA Amharic