Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA) logo. Addis Abeba- Ethiopian Media Authority said it has temporally suspended the media license of ‘Mahibere Kidusan TV’, on grounds that the station aired content that may provoke conflict among religious followers and incite ongoing meeting by the Holy Synod. The Authority cited a breaking news aired by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) affiliated TV station on 21 May in which the TV Channel published a statement issued by a Committee it said was established by the Holy Synod to address the simmering tension within members of the Synod with regard to the process of appointing new episcopate members for Oromia regional state. The statement by the Committee said there will be no process in which it “will silently watch” unnamed bishops, who it accused of having been pushing “worldly agenda within the holy church”, even though the they were patiently tolerated in the past. Although both sides announced to have resolved their differences peacefully, ending a near month-long schism through “constructive discussion” and according to “the canon of the church”, lingering tensions and potential division among Synod members indicate the issue is far from over, and an upcoming annual summit by the Holy Synod, when new episcopate appointments are due to be made, may result in yet another controversy.

Source: Ethiopian News May 22, 2023 12:01 UTC