Excommunication Notice from the Union of Eritrean Orthodox Monasteries

The Eritrean Orthodox Church – November 2014

Also Read: The Detained Patriarch, Persecuted Christians and a Dying Church

FithiNews:  Yof­tahe Dimet­ros the PFDJ polit­i­cal appointee who has been running the Eritrean Ortho­dox Church as a mere department of the repressive regime over the past 10 years has been excom­mu­ni­cated –along with Habtom Rus­som– by the Union of the Monasteries of Eritrea.

Abune Diascoros, a compliant bishop, was appointed the 4th Patri­arch of Eritrean Ortho­dox Tewahdo Church on April 2007. Abune Anto­nious, the legit­i­mate patri­arch of the Church, was dethroned from his papacy and placed under house arrest for his refusal to accept the regime’s inter­fer­ence in the affairs of the Church.

In a let­ter dated Jan­u­ary 13th, 2006, the Patriarch attrib­uted his removal from office to his “long­stand­ing belief and vehe­ment stand that it is ille­gal and unac­cept­able for Mr. Yof­tahe Dimet­ros, a layper­son of absolutely no cler­i­cal cre­den­tials, to become the high­est admin­is­tra­tor of our Church.”

When the gov­ern­ment con­trolled synod passed a res­o­lu­tion that removed the duly con­se­crated Patri­arch; Abune Anto­nious denounced it: “The rea­sons for your actions can­not be the result of your igno­rance of the Canon of the church; it is rather because you have become a law unto your­selves. There is one thing that you need to be reminded of: No one can be above the law. Whoso­ever tries to tram­ple the law under­foot will him­self end up being tram­pled over by the law.”

The Excommunication Letter 

Spiritual greetings to you.

It is common knowledge that for over ten years, you, the individuals known as Mr. Yoftahe Dimetros Gebre-mariam and the priest Habtom Russom, have been administrating the Orthodox Tewahdo Church of Eritrea.

It is a truth known to everyone that during your administration, the church that is ancient, Apostolic, Holy and a bastion of peace and unity has been turned into a place of bedlam; its vision distorted; its mission disrupted; and enveloped by a fog of divisiveness which has placed her at a great peril. This is due to your wicked actions which fell outside the parameters of the rule of law. Most of all, you’ve rendered a church that was a source of faith, good moral behavior; a teacher, guide and protector of law and order, and the book of God into a haven for hypocrites and self-serving beasts by destroying its pillars of law and sacraments. You’re the cause and effect of this saddening phenomenon that is exhausting the church and wrecking havoc on it; this is the truth we have been closely following and carefully weighing to determine its veracity. You’re therefore primarily responsible for all the Church’s problems that have gotten worse under your tenure as administrators.

In regard to this, we, the Union of Eritrean Monasteries, have advised and warned you repeatedly, directly and through the Holy Synod and other concerned parties, in writing and verbally, to take quick corrective decisions to nib the problems in the bud. In spite of this, you failed to awaken your conscience and correct the way you conducted and ran your affairs; but you also misconstrued our patience and foolishly led the Church from bad to worse; making her slide backwards like a crab. We’ve become keenly aware and certain that your labor and mission is not to promote the interests and growth of the Church, but to hasten its demise and disintegration so you can serve your own individual interests and gain fame.

Although it is very difficult to compile and list all the damage you’ve incurred and are incurring on the Holy Orthodox Tewahdo Church, but in order to clarify all your misdeeds and transgressions with the hope that it might help you to repent, we’ve classified them into nine categories:

1. You’ve repeatedly violated and allowed the violation of the pillars of sacraments, canons and the traditions of the Church;

2. You’ve unlawfully taken over and monopolized the powers of the Holy Synod and the papacy of His Holiness the Patriarch, and the Archbishops of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church; and in their name and without their consent, you’ve taken illegal actions;

3. You’ve become partial and a cover to the hypocrites; and served them well by providing them solid ground;

4. You’ve strangled all aspects of the Church’s apostolic mission and spiritual activities and weakened the Church; labored to weaken and destroy the Union of Monasteries;

5. You’ve committed and allowed acts that brought in the causes for strife and dissension and put the unity of the Church in jeopardy;

6. You’ve being using your illegally acquired powers and dictatorial administrations to excommunicate and harass innocent servants of the Church, among whom were fathers from the monasteries and without any due process;

7. You’ve enabled corruptions and wickedness (contrary to spirituality) to spread within the Church.

In spite of your serious transgressions on the canons, religious traditions, the holy Church and sacredness, we’ve repeatedly reached out and implored you to correct your dictatorial wickedness, but you’ve failed to head our advice. We, the Union of Monasteries, should not allow our limitless patience to be taken for granted; our Church be the play-ground of anyone who dares to come and highjack it as if it doesn’t have owners; we can’t tie our hands behind our backs and watch, for that will be an utter abdication of our most important spiritual obligations. We, therefore, excommunicate you, Mr. Yoftahe Dimetros Gebremariam, and the priest, Habtom Russom Habte, in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, by the authority of Peter and Paul, the three hundred eighteen fathers of the Orthodox faith, Timothy the Apostle, Abune Selema Kessate Birhan and all holy fathers of the monasteries of Eritrea, effective this hour.

On the basis of this, and from this day, October 01, 2014, forward, you, Mr. Yoftahe Dimetros Gebremariam and the priest, Habtom Russom Habte:

1. You should not administer, in any form of position or authority, the Holy Orthodox Tewahdo Church of Eritrea;

2. You should not participate in the affairs or services of the Holy Church;

3. In addition, you both have been relieved: Mr. Yoftahe Dimetros Gebremariam from the community of faith, and priest Habtom Russom Habte from your priestly and deaconess duties; you cannot offer or receive services from the Holy Orthodox Tewahdo Church of Eritrea; you’re separated from the Church by the strong sword of excommunication.

May the Holy God bless our Church and country!

Union of Eritrean Monasteries

Signed by the Abbots of the following six monasteries:

Monastery Kidus Yohannes
Debre Bizen
Gedam Tsaeda Amba Sellassie
Debre Sina
Debre Tsege Sef’a
Debre Libanos

This Letter of Communication is copied to:

The Holy Synod of the Orthodox Tewahdo Church
The various offices of the Patriarch
All the dioceses of the Orthodox Tewahdo Church of Eritrea

Original document in Tigrigina
Translator: Semere T Habtemariam

Source: