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| icon_alt =
| name = Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
| native_name = {{lang|am|የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን|italic=no}}<ref name="eotc"/><br/>{{lang|am|Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan|italic=no}}
| native_name_lang = am
| image = Addis abeba, chiesa della trinità, esterno 01.jpg
|
| alt = [[Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)|Holy Trinity Cathedral]] in [[Addis Ababa]], the seat of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
| caption = [[Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)|Holy Trinity Cathedral]] in [[Addis Ababa]], the seat of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
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| area = [[Ethiopia]] and [[Ethiopians|Ethiopian diaspora]]
| liturgy = [[Alexandrian Rite|Alexandrian]]
| language = [[Geʽez]], [[Amharic]], [[Oromo language|Oromo]], [[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]], [[Sebat Bet Gurage language|Gurage]]
| headquarters = [[Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)|Holy Trinity Cathedral]], [[Addis Ababa]], [[Ethiopia]]
| origin_link =
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| merger =
| absorbed =
| separations = [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Exile|American synod-in-exile (1991–2018)]]<br>[[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] (1991)<br>[[Tigrayan Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] (2021)
| merged_into =
| defunct =
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{{Oriental Orthodox sidebar}}
The '''Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church''' ({{lang-am|የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን}},<ref name="eotc">{{cite web|url=https://www.zeorthodox.org/|title=የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን|author=Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Addis Ababa|website=ZEOrthodox.org|publisher=Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|access-date=2021-06-20}}</ref> ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the [[Oriental Orthodox Churches]]. One of the few Christian churches in [[sub-Saharan Africa]] originating before European colonization of the continent,<ref name=":0" /> the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church dates back to the
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church had been administratively part of the [[Coptic Orthodox Church|Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria]] from the first half of the 4th century until 1959, when it was granted [[autocephaly]] with its own [[patriarch]] by [[Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria]], [[Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ethiopian-Orthodox-Tewahedo-Church |title=Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |access-date=2022-09-16 }}</ref>
''Tewahedo'' ({{lang-gez|ተዋሕዶ}} ''täwaḥədo'') is a [[Geʽez]] word meaning "united as one". This word refers to the Oriental Orthodox belief in the [[Miaphysitism|one perfectly unified nature of Christ]]; i.e., a complete union of the divine and human natures into one nature is self-evident
[[Miaphysitism]] holds that in the one person of [[Jesus Christ]], divinity and humanity are united in one (μία, ''mia'') nature (φύσις - "[[physis]]") without separation, without confusion, without alteration and without mixing where Christ is [[Consubstantiality|consubstantial]] with [[God the Father]].<ref>''The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity'' by Ken Parry 2009 {{ISBN|1-4443-3361-5}} page 88 [https://books.google.com/books?id=fWp9JA3aBvcC&dq=Miaphysitism&pg=PA88]</ref> Around 500 bishops within the patriarchates of [[Alexandria]], [[Antioch]], and [[Jerusalem]] refused to accept the [[dyophysitism]] (two natures) doctrine decreed by the [[Council of Chalcedon]] in 451, an incident that resulted in the second major split in the main body of the [[Christianity as the Roman state religion|Catholic-Orthodox Church in the Roman Empire]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07218b.htm |title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Henoticon |publisher=Newadvent.org |date=1910-06-01 |access-date=2013-06-30}}</ref>
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==Name==
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2021}}
''Tewahedo'' ({{lang-gez|ተዋሕዶ}} ''täwaḥədo'') is a Ge'ez word meaning "being made one" or "unified". This word refers to the [[Oriental Orthodoxy|Oriental Orthodox]] belief in the one composite unified [[Christology|nature of Christ]]; i.e., a belief that a complete, natural union of the divine and human natures into one is self-evident
The Oriental Orthodox Churches are known as "[[Non-Chalcedonianism|non-Chalcedonian]]", and, sometimes by outsiders as "[[monophysitism|monophysite]]" (meaning "One Single Nature", in allusion to Jesus Christ). However, these churches themselves describe their Christology as [[miaphysitism|miaphysite]],{{sfn|Winkler|1997|p=33-40}}{{sfn|Brock|2016|p=45–52}} meaning "one united nature"
==History==
{{See also|Timeline of Orthodox Tewahedo Christianity}}
===Origins===
[[File:Icon - FrontLeft - Small.jpg|thumb|Ethiopian Orthodox icon depicting [[Saint George]], the [[Crucifixion of Jesus|Crucifixion]], and the [[Mary, the mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]]]]
The earliest account of an Ethiopian converted to the faith in the [[New Testament]] books is [[Ethiopian eunuch|a royal official]] baptized by [[Philip the Evangelist]] (distinct from [[Philip the Apostle]]), one of the [[seven deacons]] (Acts, 8:26–27):
{{Blockquote|Then the angel of the Lord said to Philip, Start out and go south to the road that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza. So he set out and was on his way when he caught sight of an [[Ethiopian eunuch|Ethiopian]]. This man was a eunuch, a high official of the [[Kandake]] (Candace) Queen of Ethiopia in charge of all her treasure. (Acts, 8:26–27)}}
The passage continues by describing how Philip helped the Ethiopian treasurer understand a passage from the [[Book of Isaiah]] that the Ethiopian was reading. After Philip interpreted the passage as prophecy referring to [[Jesus Christ]], the Ethiopian requested that Philip baptize him, and Philip did so. The [[Ge'ez|Ethiopic]] version of this verse reads "Hendeke" (ህንደኬ); Queen Gersamot Hendeke VII was the Queen of Ethiopia from c. 42 to 52. Where the possibility of gospel missions by the [[Ethiopian eunuch]] cannot be directly inferred from the Books of the New Testament, [[Irenaeus|Irenaeus of Lyons]] around 180
[[File:Ezana.jpg|thumb|Coin of King [[Ezana of Axum|Ezana]], under whom Early Christianity became the established church of the [[Kingdom of Aksum]]]]
Early Christianity became the [[established church]] of the Ethiopian [[Kingdom of Aksum|Axumite Kingdom]] under king [[Ezana of Axum|Ezana]] in the 4th century when priesthood and the sacraments were brought for the first time through a Syrian Greek named [[Frumentius]], known by the local population in Ethiopia as "Selama, Kesaté Birhan" ("Father of Peace, Revealer of Light"). As a youth, Frumentius had been shipwrecked with his brother Aedesius on the [[Eritrea]]n coast. The brothers managed to be brought to the royal court, where they rose to positions of influence and baptized [[Ezana of Axum|Emperor Ezana]]. Frumentius is also believed to have established the first monastery in Ethiopia, named [[Degol Woyane|Dabba Selama]] after him.
===Middle Ages===
[[File:Giyorgis MET DP367372.jpg|thumb|Late 17th century portrait of [[Abba Giyorgis|Giyorgis]] by Baselyos]]
Union with the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria continued after the Arab conquest of [[Egypt]]. Abu Saleh records in the 12th century that the patriarch always sent letters twice a year to the kings of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and [[Nubia]], until Al Hakim stopped the practice. [[Pope Cyril II of Alexandria|Cyril]], 67th patriarch, sent [[Abuna Sawiros|Severus]] as bishop, with orders to put down [[polygamy]] and to enforce the observance of canonical consecration for all churches. These examples show the close relations of the two churches throughout the [[Middle Ages]].{{sfn|Butler|1911|p=95}} In 1439, in the reign of [[Zara Yaqob]], a religious discussion between [[Abba Giyorgis|Giyorgis]] and a French visitor led to the dispatch of an embassy from Ethiopia to the [[Holy See|Vatican]].{{sfn|Butler|1911|p=95}}<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=ZkzyEAAAQBAJ&pli=1 |title =Laetentur Caeli: Bulls of Union with the Greeks, Armenians, Coptic, and Ethiopian Churches |isbn = 9798869171504 |last1 = Curtin|first1 = D. P.|date = January 2007|publisher =Dalcassian Publishing Company }}</ref>
===Jesuit interim===
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Later, [[Ignatius Loyola]] wished to take up the task of conversion, but was forbidden to do so. Instead, the [[pope]] sent out João Nunes Barreto as patriarch of the East Indies, with [[Andre de Oviedo]] as bishop; and from [[Goa]] envoys went to Ethiopia, followed by Oviedo himself, to secure the king's adherence to Rome. After repeated failures some measure of success was achieved under Emperor [[Susenyos I]], but not until 1624 did the Emperor make formal submission to the [[pope]].{{sfn|Butler|1911|p= 96}} Susenyos made Roman Catholicism the official state religion but was met with heavy resistance by his subjects and by the authorities of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and eventually had to abdicate in 1632 in favour of his son, [[Fasilides]], who promptly restored Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity as the state religion. He then in 1633 expelled the Jesuits, and in 1665 Fasilides ordered that all Jesuit books (the Books of the Franks) be burned.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}
===Influence on the Reformation===
[[File:Icon of Abuna Samuel of Waldebba.jpg|thumb|left|Icon of [[Samuel of Waldebba]], a 15th-century Ethiopian monk and ascetic of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church]]
David Daniels has suggested that the Ethiopian Church has had a stronger impact on the Reformation than most scholars acknowledge. For [[Martin Luther]], who spearheaded the [[Reformation]], Daniels says "the Ethiopian Church conferred legitimacy on Luther's emerging Protestant vision of a church outside the authority of the Roman Catholic papacy" as it was "an ancient church with direct ties to the apostles".<ref name = "Daniels2017">{{cite web|url= https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/opinion/contributors/2017/10/21/honor-reformations-african-roots/783252001/|title=Honor the Reformation's African roots|last= Daniels|first=David D.|date=21 October 2017| work =[[The Commercial Appeal]] |access-date=9 April 2018}}</ref> According to Daniels, Martin Luther saw that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church practiced elements of faith including "[[communion under both kinds]], vernacular Scriptures, and married clergy" and these practices became customary in the [[Lutheran Church|Lutheran church]]es. The Ethiopian church also rejected [[papal supremacy]], [[purgatory]] and [[indulgences]], which the Lutherans disagreed with, and thus for Luther, the Ethiopian church was the "true [[Proto-Protestantism|forerunner of Protestantism]]".<ref name="Daniels2017" /> Luther believed that the Ethiopian church kept true apostolic practices which the Lutherans would adopt through reading the scriptures.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Martin Luther and Ethiopian Christianity: Historical Traces | publisher = The University of Chicago Divinity School|url= https://divinity.uchicago.edu/sightings/articles/martin-luther-and-ethiopian-christianity-historical-traces|access-date=2022-01-28}}</ref>
In 1534, a cleric of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, [[Michael the Deacon]], met with Martin Luther and affirmed the [[Augsburg Confession]], saying "This is a good creed, that is, faith".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://divinity.uchicago.edu/sightings/martin-luther-and-ethiopian-christianity-historical-traces|title=Martin Luther and Ethiopian Christianity: Historical Traces|last=Daniels|first=David D.|date=2 November 2017|publisher= [[University of Chicago]] |access-date=9 April 2018|quote= Luther expressed his approval of the Church of Ethiopia along with his embrace of Deacon Michael in a letter dated July 4, 1534: "For this reason we ask that good people would demonstrate Christian love also to this [Ethiopian] visitor." According to Luther, Michael responded positively to his articles of the Christian faith, proclaiming: "This is a good creed, that is, faith" (see Martin Luther, Table-Talk, November 17, 1538 [WA, TR 4:152–53, no. 4126]).}}</ref><ref name= "Daniels2017" /> In addition, Martin Luther stated that the [[Divine Service (Lutheran)|Lutheran Mass]] agreed with that used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.<ref name= "Daniels2017" /> As a result, Luther invited the Ethiopian church and Michael to full fellowship.<ref name= "Daniels2017" /><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.christiancentury.org/blog-post/guest-post/martin-luthers-fascination-ethiopian-christianity |title=Martin Luther's fascination with Ethiopian Christianity|last= Daniels|first=David D.|date=31 October 2017|publisher=[[The Christian Century]] |access-date=9 April 2018|quote=Luther extended full fellowship to Deacon Michael and the Ethiopian Church, an invitation Luther withheld from the Bohemian Brethren (the Hussites) and Reformed Churches connected to Ulrich Zwingli.}}</ref>
===Recent history===
[[File:Salama III.jpg|thumb|Engraving of [[Abuna Salama III]], head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (
In more modern times, the Ethiopian Church has experienced a series of developments. The 19th century witnessed the publication of an Amharic translation of the Bible. Largely the work of [[Abu Rumi]] over ten years in Cairo, this version, with some changes, held sway until Emperor [[Haile Selassie]] ordered a new translation which appeared in 1960/1.<ref>[[Edward Ullendorff]], ''Ethiopia and the Bible'' (Oxford: British Academy, 1988), p. 66</ref> Haile Selassie also played a prominent role in further reforms of the church, which included encouraging the distribution of Abu Rumi's translation throughout Ethiopia,<ref>Margary Perham, ''The Government of Ethiopia'', second edition (London: Faber and Faber, 1969), pp. 121f</ref> as well as his promotion of improved education of clergy, a significant step in the Emperor's effort being the founding of the Theological College of the Holy Trinity Church in December 1944.<ref>Perham, ''Government of Ethiopia'', p. 132</ref> A third development came after Haile Selassie's restoration to Ethiopia, when he issued, on 30 November, Decree Number 2 of 1942, a new law reforming the church. The primary objectives of this decree were to put the finances of the church in order, to create a central fund for its activities, and to set forth requirements for the appointment of clergy—which had been fairly lax until then.<ref>Perham, ''Government of Ethiopia'', pp. 130</ref>
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Paulos died on 16 August 2012. On 28 February 2013, a college of electors assembled in Addis Ababa and elected [[Abune Mathias|Mathias]] to be the 6th Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.<ref name= "bbc2013-03-01">{{cite web|title= Ethiopian church appoints Abune Mathias as patriarch | url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21627611 | work=BBC News | date= 2013-03-01 | access-date= 2013-03-03 }}</ref>
On 25 July 2018, delegates from the Patriarchate in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and those in the United States, declared reunification in [[Washington, D.C.]]
On 22 January 2023, an attempt to overthrow Abune Mathias was failed following a secret formation of new 26-made bishop Synod led by Abune Sawiros in Oromia Region diocese, such as in Haro Beale Wold Church in [[Woliso]], and nine bishops of diocese outside the region. The Patriarchate called it an "illegal appointment", where Abune Mathias decried it as "great event that has targeted the church".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-24 |title=Analysis: Shock, controversy rocks Ethiopian Orthodox Church after Popes suspended for involving in "illegal appointment" threaten to split |url=https://addisstandard.com/analysis-shock-controversy-rocks-ethiopian-orthodox-church-after-popes-suspended-for-involving-in-illegal-appointment-threaten-to-split/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=Addis Standard |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | title=Breakaway bishops threaten split in Ethiopia church | url=https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/africa/2023-01-24-breakaway-bishops-threaten-split-in-ethiopia-church/ |access-date=2023-01-25 |website=The Star |language=en-KE}}</ref>
After not apologising for the illegal ordination, three Archbishops were excommunicated by the Holy Synod on 26 January.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Account |date=2023-01-27 |title=Ethiopian Orthodox Church Excommunicated three subversive Archbishops |url=https://borkena.com/2023/01/26/ethiopian-orthodox-church-excommunicated-three-subversive-archbishops/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Borkena Ethiopian News |language=en-US}}</ref> On 31 January 2023, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed convened a discussion surrounding the incident where he responded he is ready to resolve the conflict. The speech led backlash from the Holy Synod and accused his government of meddling in the Church in reference to [[separation of church and state]] in the Article 11 of the [[1995 Constitution of Ethiopia|FDRE Constitution]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Account |date=2023-02-01 |title=Ethiopian Church threatens to stage a nationwide peaceful demonstration |url=https://borkena.com/2023/02/01/ethiopian-church-threatens-to-stage-a-nationwide-peaceful-demonstration/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Borkena Ethiopian News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=St |first1=Addis |last2=ard |date=2023-02-02 |title=News Analysis: As schism deepens, Orthodox Synod slams PM Abiy's remarks on ongoing crisis point by point, threaten to organize worldwide protest |url=https://addisstandard.com/analysis-orthodox-synod-slams-pm-abiys-remarks-on-ongoing-crisis-point-by-point-threaten-to-organize-worldwide-protest/ |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Addis Standard |language=en-US}}</ref>
On 4 February, three people were reportedly killed in [[Shashamane|Shashemene]] by the [[Oromia Special Forces]]. According Tewahedo Media Center (TMC), two Orthodox youth were killed and four others were injured by the Oromo Special Forces. Abune Henok, Archbishop of Addis Ababa Diocese described it as "shameful and heart-wrenching".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Three Killed in Attacks on Ethiopian Orthodox Church, According to a Report |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/three-killed-in-attacks-on-ethiopian-orthodox-church-report-/6948447.html |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=VOA |date=4 February 2023 |language=en}}</ref> In response to grievance, numerous celebrities expressed their solidarity to the Church via social media and other platforms and donned black clothing during three-days [[Fast of Nineveh]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Insight |first=Addis |date=2023-02-04 |title=Celebrities, Diplomats, and Influencers Stand United in Support of Ethiopian Orthodox Church |url=https://addisinsight.net/celebrities-diplomats-and-influencers-stand-united-in-support-of-ethiopian-orthodox-church/ |access-date=2023-02-08 |website=Addis Insight |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=St |first1=Addis |last2=ard |date=2023-02-03 |title=News: Orthodox Synod declares it faithful to wear black for the Fast of Nineveh in protest against "illegal group" |url=https://addisstandard.com/news-orthodox-synod-declares-faithful-to-wear-black-for-fast-of-nineveh-to-protest-against-illegal-group/ |access-date=2023-02-09 |website=Addis Standard |language=en-US}}</ref> On 9 February, the government imposed restrictions on social sites targeted to [[Facebook]], [[Messenger (software)|Messenger]], [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] and [[TikTok]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-02-10 |title=Ethiopia Orthodox Church split: Social media restricted |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-64597375 |access-date=2023-02-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nigeria |first=News Agency of |date=2023-02-10 |title=Internet blocked in Ethiopia after church rift turns violence |url=https://gazettengr.com/internet-blocked-in-ethiopia-after-church-rift-turns-violence/ |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=Peoples Gazette |language=en-US}}</ref> On the next day, the delegation of Synod held an urgent meeting with Abiy at his office, which resulted in condemnation of the proclaimed Oromia Synod from Abiy.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=St |first1=Addis |last2=ard |date=2023-02-10 |title=NewsAlert: PM Abiy in meeting with Orthodox Patriarch |url=https://addisstandard.com/newsalert-pm-abiy-in-meeting-with-orthodox-patriarch/ |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=Addis Standard |language=en-US}}</ref> On 12 February, a nationwide protest was postponed. [[Abune Petros (21st-century bishop)|Abune Petros]], the Secretary of the Holy Synod announced that the demonstration would be postponed following peaceful talks with the Prime Minister and a government agreement to solve the problem.<ref>{{cite web |last=AfricaNews |date=2023-02-12 |title=Ethiopia Orthodox leaders postpone protest called amid hegemony claims |url=https://www.africanews.com/2023/02/12/ethiopia-orthodox-leaders-postpone-protest-called-amid-hegemony-claims/ |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Africanews }}</ref> On 15 February, the Church reached an agreement with the illegally ordinated synod.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ethiopian Orthodox Church reaches deal with three rogue bishops |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/2/16/ethiopian-orthodox-church-reaches-deal-with-breakaway-oromo-synod |access-date=2023-02-16 |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en}}</ref> The government lifted the internet ban after five months on 17 July.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-19 |title=Ethiopian Govt Lifts Internet Restrictions |url=https://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00086415.html |access-date=2023-07-20 |website=allAfrica.com |language=en}}</ref>
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==Traditions==
[[File:Inside Debre Sema'it rock church.jpg|thumb|Inside [[Debre Sema'it]] village rock church]]
[[File:Ethio-orthodox-priests.jpg|thumb|Priests and deacons conducting a church liturgy service at Debre Meheret Kedus Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral, Washington, DC, US
The faith and practice of Orthodox Ethiopian Christians include elements from [[Miaphysitism|Miaphysite]] Christianity as it has developed in Ethiopia over the centuries. Christian beliefs include belief in God (in Ge'ez / Amharic, ''′Egziabeher'', lit. "Lord of the Universe"), [[veneration]] of the Virgin Mary, the angels, and the saints, besides others. According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church itself, there are no non-Christian elements in the religion other than those from the [[Old Testament]], or ''Higge 'Orit'' (ሕገ ኦሪት),{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}} to which are added those from the [[New Testament]], or ''Higge Wongiel'' (ሕገ ወንጌል).<ref>[http://www.mahiberekidusan.org/Default.aspx?tabid=82&ctl=Details&mid=371&ItemID=126 EOTC Doctrine] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727054539/http://www.mahiberekidusan.org/Default.aspx?tabid=82&ctl=Details&mid=371&ItemID=126 |date=2011-07-27 }}</ref> A hierarchy of ''Kidusan''/ቅዱሳን{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}} (angelic messengers and saints) conveys the prayers of the faithful to God and carries out the divine will, so when an Ethiopian Christian is in difficulty, he or she appeals to them as well as to God. In more formal and regular rituals, priests communicate on behalf of the community, and only priests may enter the inner sanctum of the usually circular or octagonal church where the [[tabot]] ("ark") dedicated to the church's patron saint is housed.<ref name="worship">{{Cite web | author=Professor Sergew Hable Sellassie | author2=Belaynesh Mikael | name-list-style=amp| year=2003 | url=http://www.ethiopianorthodox.org/english/ethiopian/worship.html | title=Worship in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church | access-date=5 November 2014 | via=EthiopianOrthodox.org | work=The Church of Ethiopia – A Panorama of History and Spiritual Life | location=[[Addis Ababa]] | orig-year=1970 }}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|reason=Source is not officially affiliated to the Church; see [[Wikipedia:Reliable sources/Noticeboard/Archive 179#Ethiopianorthodox.org]]|date=March 2017}} On important religious holidays, the tabot is carried on the head of a priest and escorted in procession outside the church. It is the tabot, not the church, which is consecrated. At many services, most parish members remain in the outer ring, where [[debtera]]s sing hymns and dance.<ref name="cs">Turner, John W. "Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity: Faith and practices". ''[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ettoc.html A Country Study: Ethiopia]'' (Thomas P. Ofcansky and LaVerle Berry, eds.) [[Library of Congress]] [[Federal Research Division]] (1991). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''[http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/about.html].</ref>
[[File:Brooklyn Museum 2000.123.1 Processional Cross.jpg|thumb|Mid-20th century [[processional cross]] from the [[Amhara Region]]
The [[Eucharist]] is given only to those who feel pure, have fasted regularly, and have, in general, properly conducted themselves.<ref name="worship" /> In practice, communion is mainly limited to young children and the elderly; those who are at a sexually active age or who have sexual desires generally do not receive the Eucharist.<ref name="worship" /><ref name="Molvaer">{{Cite book | last=Molvaer | first=Reidulf K. | title=Socialization and Social Control in Ethiopia | series=Äthiopistische Forschungen | volume=44 | year=1995 | location=Wiesbaden | publisher=Harassowitz | pages=256–257 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F6dW0EPJiVAC&pg=PA256 | isbn=9783447036627}}</ref> Worshipers receiving communion may enter the middle ring of the church to do so.<ref name="worship" />
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An important religious requirement, however, is the keeping of [[Fasting#Oriental Orthodox|fast]] days, during which adherents abstain from consuming meat and animal products, and refrain from sexual activity.<ref name="worship" /><ref name="Molvaer" /><ref name="dw2017-03-22">{{Cite news | author=James Jeffrey | title=Ethiopia: fasting for 55 days | url=http://www.dw.com/en/ethiopia-fasting-for-55-days/g-38067533 | publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]] | date=22 March 2017 | access-date=24 March 2017 }}</ref> The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has 250 fasting days, 180 of which are obligatory for laypeople, not just monks and priests, when [[Veganism|vegan]] food is eaten by the faithful. During the 40-day Advent fast, only one vegan meal is allowed per day.<ref>{{Cite news|title=A 40-Day Vegan Fast, Then, At Last, A January Christmas Feast|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/01/01/373834051/a-40-day-vegan-fast-then-at-last-a-january-christmas-feast|access-date=2021-06-15|website=NPR.org|language=en}}</ref>
[[File:Gondar Fasiladas Bath Timket.jpg|thumb|An Ethiopian Orthodox ceremony at Fasilides' Bath in [[Gondar]],
#Fast for Hudadi or Abiye Tsome [ሁዳዴ/ዓብይ ጾም] (Great Lent), 55 days prior to [[Easter]] (''[[Fasika]]'').<ref name="nenewe">{{Cite web | title=Tsome Nenewe (The Fast of Nineveh) | url=http://www.debreselam.net/index/?p=789 | publisher=Debre Selam Medhanealem Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church | location=[[Minneapolis]] | date=28 January 2015 | access-date=30 March 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405110705/http://www.debreselam.net/index?p=789 | archive-date=2015-04-05 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="arega">{{Cite web | author=Robel Arega | title=Fasting in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church | at=Why Fifty-Five Days? | publisher=Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Sunday School Department – Mahibere Kidusan | url=http://eotcmk.org/site-en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=1 | access-date=30 March 2017 | archive-date=31 March 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170331025244/http://eotcmk.org/site-en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=1 | url-status=dead }}</ref> This fast is divided into three separate periods: Tsome Hirkal (ጾመ ህርቃል), eight days commemorating [[Heraclius]]; Tsome Arba (ጾመ አርባ), forty days of [[Lent]]; and Tsome Himamat (ጾመ ሕማማት), seven days commemorating [[Holy Week]].<ref name="nenewe" /><ref name="arega" /><ref name="keraneyo-medhanealem">{{Cite web | title=Great Lent - Abiy Tsom - ዐብይ ጾም First Sunday - Zewerede - ዘወረደ | url=https://www.keraneyo-medhanealem.com/post/great-lent-abiy-tsom-%E1%8B%90%E1%89%A5%E1%8B%AD-%E1%8C%BE%E1%88%9D-first-sunday-zewerede-%E1%8B%98%E1%8B%88%E1%88%A8%E1%8B%B0 | publisher=Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Keraneyo Medhane Alem | location=[[Toronto]], [[Ontario|ON]] | date=3 March 2021 | access-date=27 February 2023 }}</ref>
#Fast of the Apostles, 10–40 days, which the Apostles kept after they had received the [[Holy Spirit]]. It begins after [[Pentecost]].
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===Exorcism===
[[File:Inda Abba Hadera holy water.jpg|thumb|Inda Abba Hadera holy water in [[Inda Sillasie]]]]Priests intervene and perform [[exorcism]]s on behalf of those believed to be afflicted by demons or ''[[buda (folklore)|buda]]''. According to a 2010 [[Pew Research Center]] study, 74% of Christians in Ethiopia report having experienced or witnessed an exorcism.<ref name="bbc2010-04-15">{{cite news |title=Ten things we have learnt about Africa |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8620249.stm |work=BBC News |date=April 15, 2010 |access-date=April 15, 2010 |quote=In Ethiopia, 74% of Christians say they have experienced or witnessed the devil or evil spirits being driven out of a person}}</ref> Demon-possessed persons are brought to a church or prayer meeting.<ref name="geleta">Geleta, Amsalu Tadesse. "[http://www.lausanne.org/all-documents/ethiopian-case-study.html Case Study: Demonization and the Practice of Exorcism in Ethiopian Churches] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100101104543/http://www.lausanne.org/all-documents/ethiopian-case-study.html |date=2010-01-01 }}". Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, Nairobi, August 2000.</ref> Often, when an ill person has not responded to modern medical treatment, the affliction is attributed to demons.<ref name="geleta" /> Unusual or especially perverse deeds, particularly when performed in public, are symptomatic of a demoniac.<ref name="geleta" /> Superhuman
<blockquote>
It includes singing praise and victory songs, reading from the Scripture, prayer and confronting the spirit in the name of Jesus. Dialogue with the spirit is another important part of the exorcism ceremony. It helps the counsellor (exorcist) to know how the spirit was operating in the life of the demoniac. The signs and events mentioned by the spirit are affirmed by the victim after deliverance.<ref name="geleta" /></blockquote>
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===Biblical canon===
{{Main|Orthodox Tewahedo biblical canon}}
[[File:Ethiopian Madonna.jpg|thumb|Drawing of the [[Virgin Mary]] {{'}}with her beloved son{{'}} in pencil and ink, from a manuscript copy of Weddasé Māryām, {{Circa|1875}}
The Orthodox Tewahedo Church Canon contains 81 books. This [[Biblical canon|canon]] contains the books accepted by other Orthodox Christians.<ref>{{cite web | title= The Bible | url= http://www.ethiopianorthodox.org/english/canonical/books.html | publisher= Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church | access-date= 23 January 2012 }}</ref>
* The Narrower Canon also includes [[Book of Enoch|Enoch]], [[Jubilees]], and [[Meqabyan|I II III Meqabyan]]. (These are unrelated to the Greek [[1 Maccabees|I]], [[2 Maccabees|II]], [[3 Maccabees|III Maccabees]] with which they are often confused.) The canonical Enoch differs from the editions of the [[Ge'ez]] manuscripts in the [[British Museum]] and elsewhere (A-Q) used by foreign scholars ([[Old Testament Pseudepigrapha|OTP]]), for example in the treatment of the [[Nephilim]] of Genesis 6.{{Citation needed|date= July 2010}} The current 81-book version, published in 1986, contains the same text as previously published in the ''[[Bible translations (Amharic)|Haile Selassie Version of the Bible]]'', only with some minor modifications to the New Testament translation.
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===Ark of the Covenant===
[[File:Ark of the Covenant church in Axum Ethiopia.jpg|thumb|The Chapel of the Tablet at the [[Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion]] is said to house the original [[Ark of the Covenant]].]]
The Ethiopian Church claims that one of its churches, [[Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion|Our Lady Mary of Zion]], is host to the original [[Ark of the Covenant]] that [[Moses]] carried with the [[Israelites]] during the [[The Exodus|Exodus]]. Only one priest is allowed into the building where the Ark is located, ostensibly due to biblical warnings of danger. As a result, international scholars doubt that the original Ark is truly there.{{
Throughout Ethiopia, Orthodox churches are not considered churches until the local bishop gives them a ''[[tabot]]'', a replica of the
===Similarities to Judaism and Islam===
[[File:The Ethiopian Church.jpg|thumb| [[Kidane Mehret Church, Jerusalem|The Ethiopian Church, Jerusalem]]]]
The Ethiopian Church places a heavier emphasis on Old Testament teachings than one might find in [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]], Roman Catholic or [[Protestantism|Protestant]] churches, and its followers adhere to certain practices that one finds in [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] or [[Conservative Judaism]]. Ethiopian Christians, like some other [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern Christians]], traditionally follow dietary rules that are similar to Jewish [[Kashrut]], specifically with regard to the slaughter of animals. Similarly, pork is prohibited, though unlike [[Rabbinical Judaism|Rabbinical]] Kashrut, [[Ethiopian cuisine]] does mix [[Milk and meat in Jewish law|dairy products with meat]], which in turn makes it even closer to [[Karaite Judaism|Karaite]] and [[Islamic dietary laws]] (see [[Halal]]). Women are prohibited from entering the church temple during [[menses]];<ref>{{cite web |last1=Daoud |first1=Marcos |last2=Hazen |first2=Blatta Marsie |title=The Liturgy of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church |url=http://www.eotc.faithweb.com/liturgy.htm |publisher=[[Ethiopian Orthodox Church]] |access-date=24 August 2020 |language=en |date=1991}}</ref> they are also expected to [[Christian headcovering|cover their hair]] with a large scarf (or ''shash'') while in church, as described in 1
Before praying, the Ethiopian Orthodox wash their hands and face, in order to be clean before and present their best to God; [[Tradition of removing shoes in the home and houses of worship|shoes are removed]] in order to acknowledge that one is offering prayer before a holy God.<ref name="Amherst1906">{{cite book |author1=Mary Cecil, 2nd Baroness Amherst of Hackney |author-link=Mary Cecil, 2nd Baroness Amherst of Hackney |title=A Sketch of Egyptian History from the Earliest Times to the Present Day |date=1906 |publisher=Methuen |page=399 |language=en |quote=Prayers 7 times a day are enjoined, and the most strict among the Copts recite one of more of the Psalms of David each time they pray. They always wash their hands and faces before devotions, and turn to the East.}}</ref><ref name="Kosloski2017">{{cite web |last1=Kosloski |first1=Philip |title=Did you know Muslims pray in a similar way to some Christians? |url=https://aleteia.org/2017/10/16/did-you-know-muslims-pray-in-a-similar-way-to-some-christians/ |publisher=[[Aleteia]] |access-date=25 July 2020 |language=en |date=16 October 2017}}</ref> Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers remove their shoes when entering a church temple,<ref name="Hable1997" /> in accordance with [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 3:5 (in which [[Moses]], while viewing the [[burning bush]], was commanded to remove his shoes while standing on holy ground).
The Ethiopian Church does not call for circumcision, yet it is a cultural practice
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church prescribes several kinds of [[hand washing]] and traditionally follow rituals that are similar to Jewish [[Handwashing in Judaism|netilat yadayim]], for example after leaving the latrine, lavatory or bathhouse, or before prayer, or after eating a meal.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://pwtw.pl/wp-content/uploads/wst/12-2/Pedersen.pdf |title=IS THE CHURCH OF ETHIOPIA A JUDAIC CHURCH ? |access-date=2022-10-08 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115645/http://pwtw.pl/wp-content/uploads/wst/12-2/Pedersen.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Ethiopian Orthodox Church observes days of [[ritual purification]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=[[Ian Bradley]] |title=Water: A Spiritual History |date=2 November 2012 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-4411-6767-5 |language=English|quote=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last= H. Bulzacchelli|first=Richard|title=Judged by the Law of Freedom: A History of the Faith-works Controversy, and a Resolution in the Thought of St. Thomas Aquinas|publisher=[[University Press of America]]|year=2006|isbn=9780761835011|pages=19|quote=The Ethiopian and Coptic Churches distinguishes between clean and unclean meats, observes days of ritual purification, and keeps a kind of dual Sabbath on both Saturday and Sunday.}}</ref> People who are ritually unclean may approach the church but are not permitted to enter it; they instead stand near the church door and [[Christian prayer|pray]] during the liturgy.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pedersen |first1=Kristen Stoffregen |title=Is the Church of Ethiopia a Judaic Church? |journal=Warszawskie Studia Teologiczne |date=1999 |volume=XII |issue=2 |pages=205–206 |language=en}}</ref>
Rugare Rukuni and Erna Oliver identify the Nine Saints as [[Jewish Christians]], and attribute the Judaic character of Ethiopian Christianity, in part, to their influence.<ref name="RukuniOliver">{{Cite journal | first1=Rugare | last1=Rukuni | first2=Erna | last2=Oliver | title=Ethiopian Christianity: A continuum of African Early Christian polities | url=https://dx.doi.org/10.4102/hts.v75i1.5335 | journal=Hervormde Teologiese Studies | volume=75 | issue=1 | date=January 2019 | pages=1–9 | doi=10.4102/hts.v75i1.5335}}</ref>{{Rp|6, 8}}
===Debtera===
{{Main|Debtera}}
[[File:Ethiopian Painting 2005 SeanMcClean.JPG|thumb|A painting of performing [[debtera]]s
A debtera is an itinerant lay priest figure (not a member of the priesthood) trained by the Ethiopian Church to function principally as a [[scribe]] or [[Cantor (church)|cantor]]. But often he is also a folk healer, who may also function in roles comparable to a [[deacon]] or [[exorcist]]. Folklore and legends ascribe the role of magician to the debtera as well.<ref>{{cite book|author=Encyclopaedia Aethiopica|authorlink=Encyclopaedia Aethiopica|title=Encyclopaedia Aethiopica: He-N|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l4WUdKWGcYsC&pg=PA4|year=2003|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=978-3-447-05607-6|page=4}}</ref>
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Canada:
* Demetrios, archbishop of Eastern Canada
* Abraham, archbishop of Western Canada<ref name="eotc-edmonton">{{Cite web | title=Committees | url=https://ethiopiansorthodoxchurch.org/committees/ | publisher=Debre Selam Medhanealem Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church | location=Edmonton, AB | access-date=2023-12-07 }}</ref>
[[File:Abune Abraham Archbishop of Western Canada.jpg|thumb|Abune Abraham, Archbishop of Western Canada]]
Middle East:
* Dimetros, Archbishop of the United Arab Emirates and its surrounding areas
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*Shewa ([[Adama, Ethiopia|Adama]])
*North Shoa (Debre Berhan)
*[[Washington, D.C.]], and surrounding areas
*Eastern Canada
*Western Canada
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==References==
{{More footnotes needed|date=December 2019}}
{{Reflist|30em}}
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Abyssinian Church|volume=1|pages=95-96|first=Alfred Joshua|last=Butler}}
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