Sahlework released a brief message written in Amharic reflecting on the developments that the Ethiopian Church has been facing in the past few weeks. The Ethiopian Church has been resisting, in recent weeks, government interference which manifested itself in the form of providing multifaceted support to a group that the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Church excommunicated on the basis of the religious traditions and canons of the church. They give us strength, perseverance and hope.”Earlier in the week, Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonen spoke firmly about the importance of maintaining the unity of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed remarked on what he called a “split” within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church but attempted to legitimize the three bishops group when he suggested negotiation “between the two groups.”His remark infuriated the followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The Ethiopian church said it could call a demonstration anytime if the government failed to address the demands of the church.

Source: Ethiopian News February 14, 2023 04:01 UTC