A Message from His Holiness Abune Merkorios, Patriarch
The Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church-in-Exile
“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for
this is the Law and the Prophets” Matthew 7:12.
The Head Office of the Patriarchate of the Legitimate Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) in North America deeply laments and pleads to the Almighty God that He give His blessings and mercy to our people in Ethiopia, who are undergoing through a tremendous hardship, suffering, and despair, stemming from both political tyranny and economic injustice, and more importantly, from ethnically-motivated displacement of selected population groups from their homes and communities around the country. Even the most sacred of our religious sites, such as venerated statues and monasteries, have not been immune from government intrusion. It is against this backdrop, unfortunately, that we were observing The Great Lent (Abye Tsome) of fasting and praying— in the great tradition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church— as a remembrance of the 40 days and nights of fasting of our Lord Christ after His baptism. Surely, our usual upbeat celebration of this epic Orthodox Tewahedo tradition has been tempered this year by the grim reality of the many misfortunes afflicting our people back in Ethiopia. Read full story in PDF
