Abune Merkorios was the fourth Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, succeeding Abune Tekle Haimanot in 1988. For other senses, see Patriarch (disambiguation). ... The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (in Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተክርስትያን Yäityopya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan) is an Oriental Orthodox church in Ethiopia that was part of the Coptic Orthodox Church until 1959, when it was granted its own Patriarch by Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Accession and Removal

After four years as the Patriarch, Abune Merkorios was dethroned in 1992 under intense pressure by the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) guerilla fighters upon their assumption of power in Ethiopia. It is unclear whether or not the Patriarch willingly abdicated at first or acted under duress, but when he made an effort to reverse this action, the Synod (church council) stepped in and announced it had removed him. It stated that his election had been under the duress and direction of the Communist government, and so his continued occupation of the Patriarchate was not legitimate. The TPLF made it clear to the synod that they would not accept Merkorios as the leader of the church. A new election was held, and Abune Paulos, once a prisoner of the Derg, and a long time exile in the United States, became Patriarch of Ethiopia. Abune Merkorios fled the country into exile, fearful that his fate would be like that of the late 2nd patriarch Abune Tewophilos who was murdered in 1977 by the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army (Derg) after the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1975.^[1] 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The Tigrayan Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) is a political party in Ethiopia. ... An acronym referring to the Tigrayan Peoples Liberation Front. ... A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. ... Abune Paulos (born Gebre Medhin Wolde Yohannes 1935) is Abuna and Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (1992 - ). His full title is His Holiness Abune Paulos, Fifth Patriarch and Catholicos (re-ese Liqane Papasat) of Ethiopia, Echege of the See of St. ... Derg party badge, c1979. ... Abune Tewophilos, Second Patriarch of Ethiopia This article does not cite its references or sources. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Haile Selassie Haile Selassie (Power of Trinity) (July 23, 1892 – August 27, 1975) was the last Emperor (1930–1936; 1941–1974) of Ethiopia, and is a religious symbol in the Rastafarian movement. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Synod in Exile

After leaving Ethiopia, Abune Merkorios announced from abroad that his removal was illegitimate, and carried out under duress from the new transitional government of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). He claimed that he was still the legal Patriarch of Ethiopia, as canon law did not support the enthronement of a Patriarch while another lived. The Synod however replied that it was entitled under canon law to remove the patriarch which it had done prior to the election of the new Patriarch. Several bishops left Ethiopia to join him in exile and now live mostly in the United States where they proclaimed a parallel synod. These moves to split the synod, who the legitimate occupant of the Patriarchate should be, and other issues have aroused much argument among the clergy and faithful. Abune Paulos however is the patriarch recognized by the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church inside Ethiopia. The body claiming to be The Holy Synod in Exile continues to uphold Abune Merkorios as Patriarch of Ethiopia. However, Abune Merkorios does face the barrier that the other Oriental Orthodox Churches, most significantly the Coptic Orthodox Church, have refused to acknowledge his legitimacy from the very time of his election during the Derg era. The Coptic Church maintians that the two Patriarchs installed during the Derg era were illegitimate due to the uncanonical and illegal removal of Patriarch Abune Tewophilos from the Patriarchal throne, and his unannounced execution. With no official aknowledgement of Abune Tewophilos' death, the Copts argue that no Patriarch could legally be installed in Ethiopia. Therefore although Abune Tewophilos had been dead for over a decade at the time of his installation, without public aknowldgement by the Derg of the death and the carrying out of the funeral of Abune Tewophilos, Abune Merkorios would not be recognized. Pope Shenuda III of the Coptic Church publicly stated this policy during meetings with the Ethiopian exile community in the United States during visits there in the late 1980's. After Abune Merkorios was deposed, the remains of Abune Tewophilos were ceremonially reburied with full Patriarchal honors, followed days later by the enthronement of Abune Paulos. The Coptic Church thus recognized the Patrarchate of Abune Paulos as legitimate. Efforts continue to avert a permanent schism of the Ethiopian church. However, the so called "Synod in Exile" has recently also suffered further splits, and the Synod inside Ethiopia is faced with challenges to its authority inside Ethiopia as those disgruntled by even minor disputes have taken to questioning Abune Paulos's authority and legitimacy. The Church in exile is being buffeted by accusations from certain quarters that it has split the church, and that the exiled bishops would have done better to remain in Ethiopia, and in the legitimate Synod fighting for their cause. There have also been accusations that some of the exiled bishops intend to make the split permanent by proclaiming an independent Ethiopian Patriarchate Outside Ethiopia with its own line of Patriarchal succession.^[2] Both synods and both Patriarchs have been buffeted by questions of illegitimacy, accusations of ethnic and regional predudice, and hunger for power. Abune Merkorios has had a low public profile in the west, but his claims are forcefully advocated by his adherents. The Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front, or EPRDF, is the ruling political party of Ethiopia. ... The Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front, or EPRDF, is the ruling political party of Ethiopia. ... Canon law is the term used for the internal ecclesiastical law which governs various churches, most notably the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Anglican Communion of churches. ... Coptic is an adjective referring to the original inhabitants of Egypt, the Copts. ... St. ... This article is about a title or office in religious bodies. ...

On January 21, 2007, His Holiness Abune Merkorios and those Archbishops who make up the exiled synod presided over the annointing of thirteen new bishops of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in exile at a ceremony at the Church of St. Gabriel in Washington D.C., and at the Church of Medhane Alem (Savior of the World) in Toronto Canada.

Notes

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See also

• History of Ethiopia