Twentyfive archbishops have been appointed in Ethiopia’s Oromia Regional State without the knowledge of the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Abune Matias, Patriarch of the Church on Sunday condemned the appointment as “illegal and critical threat’ to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
The appointment was made on Sunday by Bishops known as Sawiros, Ostatios and Zena Markos, all ethnic Oromo, without the knowledge of the Synod.
They claimed that the existing Synod is made of representatives drawn from non-Oromia regions and that the people of Oromia are not well served.
Abune Matias called on all the bishops serving the Church inside and outside the country to gather in Addis Ababa to decide on the matter.
The patriarch requested the government to interfere in the matter and discharge legal responsibility, particularly ensuring peace and security considering the intricacy of the problem.
The appointment has angered the faithful of the Church who described it as a “polically motivated” move.
DanielKibret, Social Affairs Advisor to the PM in the rank of minister, said the move aims at dividing the Church and Ethiopia along ethnic lines.
He blamed the church officials for being unwilling to stop the activity before it reached to the point where it becomes so dangerous.
