Patriarch Abune Merkorios Bids Farewell to the Ethiopian Diaspora

Solomon Kibriye (Editor – Ethiopian Affairs) – OCP News Service – 31/7/18
Special Courtesy – Archdeacon Tesfa Mikael Williams (News Editor – Ethiopian Affairs)

#Exiled Ethiopian Patriarch Bids Farewell to the Diaspora as His Brother Patriarch Prepares to Receive Him

Washington DC- USA: His Holiness Patriarch Abune Merkorios of Ethiopia issued a statement yesterday evening through his spokesman Abune Barnabas (shown reading) bidding the Ethiopian Diaspora farewell as he ends his exile.

Today, on the feast of St. Tekle Haimanot, His Holiness and other exiled Archbishops and Bishops will board the aircraft taking Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and his delegation back to Ethiopia. They will return to the See of Tekle Haimanot where Patriarch Abune Mathias and the Archbishops and multitudes of faithful will receive them tomorrow.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church Formally Declares an End to the 27-Year-Old Schism (Updated)

His Holiness Patriarch Abune Mathias presided yesterday at a meeting of the Holy Synod that lifted the excommunications against the exiled fathers. In an interview with the press he expressed his joy, and the joy of all Ethiopians at the end of the schism. He recalled that many previous attempts at ending the split had been made and failed (including by himself when he was Archbishop of North America). He said he and others had voiced a concern that this split needed to be ended while the original parties lived, otherwise the schism would be passed to future generations and become permanent. He expressed great happiness that this threat had been averted.

Ethiopian Orthodox Unity Declaration Document in English

Source:
OCP News Service