Every Ethiopian church houses a covered tabot, which is regarded as sacrosanct and must be seen only by the priest. In July 2018 the Ethiopian government called for the restitution of the Abbey’s tabot. An Abbey spokesperson tells The Art Newspaper: “The Dean [David Hoyle] and Chapter has decided in principle that it would be appropriate to return the Ethiopian tabot to the Ethiopian Church. We are currently considering the best way to achieve this, and we are in ongoing discussions with representatives of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. In 2007, the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, Abune Paulos, travelled to London to meet the abbey’s receiver-general and to call for the return of the tabot.

Source: Ethiopian News February 13, 2024 13:35 UTC