|
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is an Oriental Orthodox Christian church which is the national Church of Ethiopia. It was founded by a Syrian Greek, Frumentius and achieved independence from the Coptic and Ethiopian Orthodox Churches in 1948. The existing primate of the church is His Holiness Abune Paulos, Fifth Patriarch and Catholicas of Ethiopia who also holds the positions of Ichege of the See of St Tekle Haymanot, Archbishop of Axum and President of the World Council of Churches.
The church is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and has 45 million adherents. This church as with most orthodox churches believe in the single nature of Christ not the Trinity.
As stated in Wikipedia, the faith and practice includes elements from Christianity as it has developed in Ethiopia over the centuries and include elements from a non-Christian heritage that are rejected by more educated church members but that are shared by ordinary priests. It is believed that a hierarchy of Kidusan (angelic messengers and saints) conveys the prayers of the faithful to God and carries out the divine will, so when an Ethiopian is in difficulty, he or she appeals to these as well as God. Weekly services are a part of religious observance as well as several holy days which require prolonged services, singing, dancing and feasting. An important religious requirement is the keeping of fast days. Only the clergy and the very devout maintain the full schedule of fasts comprising 250 days. The laity is expected to fast 165 days per year, including every Wednesday and Friday and the two months that include Lent and Easter.
|
