The Leading “Neutral” (non-synodal) Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Washington DC Declares that it Has Rejoined the Mother Synod in Addis Ababa
Solomon Kibriye (Editor – Ethiopian Affairs) – OCP News Service – 16/7/18
USA: This past Sunday July 15, 2018, following the Divine Liturgy, the clergy of Washington D.C.’s largest Ethiopian Orthodox Church assembled before the high altar and proclaimed that from this day onward, the church had returned to the jurisdiction of the Mother Church and the Addis Ababa Synod. St. Mary’s church is one of Washington’s oldest Ethiopian Orthodox Churches and has long been the leading church in the diaspora of the “neutral group” of Churches that refused to submit to the administration of the Addis Ababa Synod citing government interference in its affairs, while at the same time rejecting the Exile Synod as schismatic.
An End to the Ethiopian Schism in Sight?
St. Mary’s has been the leading “Neutral” church and is very influential in the Council they formed in the Diaspora. The “Neutral” churches have been criticized in the past for being un-canonical as they refuse to accept the authority of a local bishop and the Patriarch. Prayers in these churches are recited in a general manner for “our fathers the Archbishops and Bishops” rather than raising the name of the Patriarch and the local Bishop as required by church law.
Ethiopian Orthodox Quest for Unity
The clergy of St. Mary’s announced their decision to return to the fold of the mother Church, based on the new air of reform and reconciliation that has taken hold in Ethiopia, and the efforts to end the schism with the Exile Synod. Their announcement was met with cheering and ululations in the church. It is expected that many “Neutral” churches will follow suit shortly. St. Mary’s is known in Washington as “Re’ese Adbarat” (roughly “First of the Shrines”) and “Debre Selam” (Mount of Peace).
The Addis Ababa and Exile Synods will meet later this week in Washington for reconciliation talks about which there is great optimism for the first time.
Source:
OCP News Service
I remembered when Abuna Yesehaq first established
This holy church in a small room in a building in Dc that was just a class room
And Kassa aka Fitsaha Tsion was first assigned as the priest in charged
He held that position n did his best to his limited ability as the
Diaspora of Ethiopians was just starting to come to UsA
This was in 1984. The second was St Mikael requested by Abba Melaku the following year when he came to Bronx holy trinity as a young priest. May God bless the works of Abuna Yesehaq
And grant him his joy to return his remains to our mother land Holy Ethiopia
When Ethiopia is free and we will repatriate for the children of Israel did this to their
Fore fathers. Quoted from his living words. Indeed Abuna Yesehaq rejoice to see this day of peace and r conciliation when there were no Ethiopians here in the west we Jamaicans kept the lights on for our fathers brothers n sisters so when they arrived in this dark west there was a home for them and of course with the sacrifice of Abuna Yesehaq who left him family in Ethiopia to dwell amongst us terrible nation of people without names country religion and identity for we were taken against our will from Africa he remade us as a people through the one Holy universal apostolic tewahedo church.
Abuna Yesehaq lives.
Amen