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. Tekle Haymanot, Archbishop of Axum and as of 2006, one of the seven serving Presidents of the World Council of Churches." 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Abuna (Geez: አቡነ ’abunä) is the title of the metropolitan bishop or head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. ... 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... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Catholicos (plural Catholicoi) is a title used by the head/regional head bishop of any of certain Eastern churches. ... Saint Takla Haymanot the Ethiopian Tekle Haymanot or Takla Haymanot (Geez ተክለ፡ ሃይማኖት takla hāymānōt, modern tekle hāymānōt, Plant of Faith; known in the Coptic Church as Saint Takla Haymanot of Ethiopia) (c. ... Axum, properly Aksum, is a city in northern Ethiopia. ... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is an international Christian ecumenical organization. ...

Early life

Patriarch Abune Paulos was born in Adwa in the province of Tigray in northern Ethiopia. His family was long associated with the Abune Gerima monastery near the town, and he entered the monastery as a young boy as a deacon trainee, eventually taking monastic orders and being ordained a priest. He continued his education at the Holy Trinity Theological College in Addis Ababa under the patronage of Patriarch Abune Tewophilos. He was sent to study at the St. Vladimir Orthodox Seminary in the United States, and afterwards joined the doctoral program at the Princeton Theological Seminary. The landscape of Adwa Adwa (also spelled Adowa, Aduwa, or Adua) is a market town in northern Ethiopia, and best known as the community closest to the decisive Battle of Adowa fought in 1896. ... Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. ... For the long-distance runner, see Addis Abebe. ... Abune Tewophilos, Second Patriarch of Ethiopia This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The steeple of Alexander Hall Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States. ...

In 1974, his education was interrupted by a summons from Patriarch Abune Tewophilos, and returned to Addis Ababa shortly after the revolution that toppled Emperor Haile Selassie. He was anointed a bishop along with four others, assuming the name and style of Abune Paulos, and given responsibility for ecumenical affairs by the Patriarch. But because the Patriarch had named these new bishops without the permission of the new Derg communist junta, all five men were arrested, and the Patriarch was eventually executed. Abune Paulos and his fellow bishops were imprisoned until 1983. Abune Paulos returned to Princeton in 1984 to complete his doctoral degree there, and began his life as an exile. He was elevated to the rank of Archbishop by Patriarch Abune Takla Haymanot in 1986 while in exile. 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. ... Derg party badge, c1979. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Actions as a Patriarch

Following the fall of the Derg in 1991, the then Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Abune Merkorios, was dethroned in circumstances that remain under dispute. Patriarch Abune Merkorios and his supporters maintain that he was forced from office by the new EPRDF-led democratic government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and its supporters, while his opponents maintain that the Patriarch abdicated following numerous protests against him by the faithful. His attempt to reverse his abdication was refused by the Holy Synod of the Church which authorized a new Patriarchal election. Abune Paulos was elected in 1992, and Abune Merkorios and his supporters went into exile, establishing a rival synod in the United States. The enthronement of Abune Paulos as Patriarch is still recognized by all the canonical Orthodox Christian, and other canonical churches, and recognized by the Coptic Patriarchate in Alexandria, Egypt.^{[citation needed]} Derg party badge, c1979. ... Abune Merkorios was the fourth Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, succeeding Abune Tekle Haimanot in 1988. ... The Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front, or EPRDF, is the ruling political party of Ethiopia. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... Jesus Christ in a Coptic icon The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria (Coptic: , literally: the Egyptian Orthodox Church of Alexandria) is the official name for the largest Christian church in Egypt. ... Nickname: Alexandria on the map of Egypt Map of Alexandria Coordinates: , Country Egypt Founded 334 BC Government  - Governor Adel Labib Population (2001)  - City 3,500,000 Time zone EET (UTC+2)  - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3) Twin Cities  - Baltimore  United States  - Cleveland  United States  - ConstanÅ£a  Romania  - Durban  South Africa...

Abune Paulos has presided over a remarkable period of the Church's history. Much urban property that had been taken from the church was returned, most notably the return of the campus and the library of Holy Trinity Theological College, and the College was reopened. He built a new Patriarchal office and residence complex at the site of the old one, and reformed the bureaucracy of the Patriarchate. He has also traveled widely, strengthening the ties of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church with other sister churches. He reluctantly acquiesced to the breaking away of the Eritrean Church when that country declared independence. Abune Paulos also took the initiative to the series of peace meetings between all Ethiopian and Eritrean religious leaders in 1998, 1999 and 2000 in an effort to bring peace between the two countries in response to a bitterly fought border war. Patriarch Abune Paulos and the Orthodox Church have also been extensively involved in the support of war-displaced and drought-hit Ethiopians, making the Church one of the major relief organizations in the country. Combatants Eritrea Ethiopia Commanders Sebhat Ephrem Tsadkan Gebretensae Casualties 19,000;[1][2]20-50,000[3] up to 60,000;[4] 123,000[5][6] The Eritrean-Ethiopian War took place from May 1998 to June 2000 between Ethiopia and Eritrea. ...

In 1995, Abuna Paulos asked for the faithful to fulfill their religious obligations by contributing their share to the restoration of the cathedral. He led a Fundraising Committee of 15 people which was established to work within the country and abroad on the project.^[1]

The Patriarch has continually championed the cause of the many victims of the Derg regime. Patriarch Abune Paulos presided over the funerals of Emperor Haile Selassie in 2000 (even in the face of government hostility to this event), Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen in 1997, and Princess Tenagnework in 2004. He has also presided over the funerals of the 60 ex-officials of the Imperial government in 1993, and the funeral of the leading opposition leader of the time, Professor Asrat Woldeyes in 1998. Derg party badge, c1979. ... 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. ... Emperor Amha Selassie of Ethiopia Emperor Amha Selassie of Ethiopia (1916 - February 17, 1997) was the exiled claimant of the Ethiopian Imperial Throne (also known as Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen). ... Princess Tenagnework Haile Selassie (1912 - April 6, 2003) was the eldest child of Emperor Haile Selassie and Empress Menen Asfaw. ... Professor Asrat Woldeyes was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on June 20, 1928 and died May 14, 1999. ...

Abuna Paulos has also found success after he asked a British Museum to return ten “tabots” containing images of the ark of the covenant. These carvings, so sacred that only ordained priests may look at them, were plundered by British troops in 1868. ^[2] In March of 2006, Abune Paulos was elected to serve as one of the seven presidents of the World Council of Churches, during its summit in Brazil. The World Council of Churches (WCC) is an international Christian ecumenical organization. ...

Abune Paulos has also implemented a proposal to build a University in Entoto that would help to commemorate the millenium according to the Ethiopian calander. This University is intended to be a study and research center in Entoto Debre Hayl Saint Raguel Church.^[3] The Holy Synod and Abune Paulos appealed for the faithful to protect church heritages with a view to enabling them to be transferred to the next generation.

On July 13, 2007, Abune Paulos visited the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, met with H. H. Pope Shenouda III of Egypt. This visit is considered a start for the relationship between the Ethiopian and Coptic Church after time of separation. Abune Paulos visited some of the Coptic associations in Egypt, and on July 15, He visted a Coptic Egyptian Church named after an Ethiopian Saint: St. Tekle Haymanot Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria, Egypt.^[4] . Christ - Coptic Art Coptic Orthodox Christianity is the indigenous form of Christianity that, according to tradition, the apostle Mark established in Egypt in the middle of the 1st century AD (approximately AD 60). ... HH Pope Shenouty III, 117th Pope of Alexandria and All Africa, and Patriarch of the Apostolic See of St Mark His Holiness Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria, born Nazeer Gayed, has been Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church since November 14, 1971. ... Religions Coptic Orthodox Christianity, Coptic Catholicism, Protestantism Scriptures Bible Languages Mari, Coptic, Arabic, English, French, German A Copt (Coptic: , literally: Egyptian Christian) is a native Egyptian Christian. ... Saint Takla Haymanot the Ethiopian Tekle Haymanot or Takla Haymanot (Geez ተክለ፡ ሃይማኖት takla hāymānōt, modern tekle hāymānōt, Plant of Faith; known in the Coptic Church as Saint Takla Haymanot of Ethiopia) (c. ... Nickname: Alexandria on the map of Egypt Map of Alexandria Coordinates: , Country Egypt Founded 334 BC Government  - Governor Adel Labib Population (2001)  - City 3,500,000 Time zone EET (UTC+2)  - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3) Twin Cities  - Baltimore  United States  - Cleveland  United States  - ConstanÅ£a  Romania  - Durban  South Africa...

After the violent removal of Patriarch Tekle Haimanot by the genocidal Mengistu's Derg government, Mengistu illegally crowned Patriarch/Abune Merkorios in 1988. This illegal actions and other issues caused a big split between the world Coptic Orthodox Churches and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church for many years. However after Patriarch/Abune Paulos arrived all world orthodox churches recognized his leadership and after several historic conferences for reconciliation, the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church solved all other differences in July 2007.^[5] According to the World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Chuch and the Coptic Orthodox church "solemnly declared their unity of faith, their commitment to common witness and their readiness to deepen and expand collaboration, leaving behind more than two decades of tensions." ^[6] Mengistu Haile Mariam (born 1937) was the head of state of Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991. ... Derg party badge, c1979. ... The World Council of Churches (WCC) is an international Christian ecumenical organization. ...

Controversy

Due to controversy over the resignation of his predecessor Abune Merkorios, some Ethiopian churches in North America and Europe recognise Abune Merkorios, and dispute the legitimacy of Patriarch Abune Paulos. But most these supporters of Merkorios are thought to be supporters of the previous government. Abune Paulos' vocal support for the current EPRDF regime has also alienated many of the government's opponents, who criticise him for taking sides. The fact that the Patriarch is of the same Tigrean ethnicity as the leadership of the EPRDF has led to accusations of ethnocentrism and xenophobia as well as nepotism at all levels of church administration. But these are mostly speculations by the backers of the previous government which have mostly left the country and live in exile - mostly in America & Europe. The government is often accused of having engineered the rise of Abune Paulos to the Patriarchate because of his Tigrayan ethnicity. However these are also speculations. Visits by the Patriarch to western countries in the early part of his reign were met with emotional demonstrations and angry protests against him. Some believe most of those who protested against him were supporters of the previous government of the dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam which has been already charged for the killings he has committed before a US-led Ethiopian opposition overthrew him in 1991. Some sources claim that Mengistu was responsible for one of the worst genocides in history ending up with around 1,500,000 Ethiopian dead.^[7] The Mengistu government also killed the legitimate Patriarch Theophilos in 1979 and replaced him with puppet Patriach instead of the next deserving Patriarch in line, Paulos. Then the Mengistu dictatorship imprisoned Paulos for seven years as well, but before he was killed, he escaped and went in exile as a refugee. Thus some analysts say the protesters who opposed Abune Paulos were just bitter that Mengistu's government, which has the same ethnicity as the protesters, was overthrown by US-led Ethiopian movement. There have been protests in Ethiopia itself against the Patriarch, most notably at the Lideta Le Mariam ("Nativity of the Virgin Mary") Church in Addis Ababa. But some people say his only crime was just being from the Tigrai ethnicity, which was the ethnicity under genocidal attack during the previous government. In an incident at the St. Stephen's church in Addis Ababa in January 1997, a hermit monk was shot and killed during the feast day of the church. Although the official account was that the monk had attempted to assassinate the Patriarch with a sword, and that one of the Patriarch's entourage had defended the Patriarch with his pistol, the fact that members of the Patriarch's entourage were armed and carried guns into church was as shocking as the allegation of an attempted assassination, and some people taught that damaged the Patriarch's reputation. However those people who taught this way were those who supported the previous government which imprisoned Paulos and killed the Patriarch passed down after the fall of Haile Sellasie. Due to various attempts to assassinate Paulos by the symapathizers of the previous government, security is always tight around the Patriarch who has been awarded many regional and international honors for his dedication to the church and the country. Some say the Patriarch's reputation increased more during his dignified conduct of the funerals of the members of the Imperial family and the prominent opposition figure Professor Asrat Woldeyes, in spite of government hostility to those figures. However his continued support of the EPRDF and its policies continued to alienate some members of the Ethiopian Church who supported the previous government. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... 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. ... Mengistu Haile Mariam (IPA: //) (born 1937[3][4]) was the most prominent officer of the Derg, the military junta that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, and the president of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. ... Professor Asrat Woldeyes was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on June 20, 1928 and died May 14, 1999. ...

In the aftermath of the controversial General Elections of May, 2005, Abune Paulos was heckled as a pro-government puppet(by some pro DERG amharas) during the public Maskal ("Feast of the Finding of the True Cross") celebrations in September. Ethiopia held general elections on May 15, 2005, for seats in both its national and in four regional government councils. ... Meskel (Ethiopic: መሰቀል), in the Ethiopian Orthodox and Eritrean Orthodox Churches, is an annual religious holiday commemorating the discovery of the True Cross by Queen Eleni (Saint Helena) in the fourth century. ...

On January 21, 2007, Abune Merkorios and those Archbishops who make up the exiled synod presided over the anointing 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 Medhane Alem Church (Church of the Savior of the World) in Toronto Canada. As a result, the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Addis Ababa excommunicated Abune Merkorios and the other exiled bishops who carried out the anointing of these new bishops. The exiled bishops retaliated by excommunicating Abune Paulos and the members of the Addis Ababa synod. This seems to be leading towards a schism which would be difficult to reconcile. This has caused an emense upheaval among Ethiopian churches in the west as a large number of them, although not particularly sympathetic to Abune Paulos personally, were angered that Abune Merkorios and the exiled bishops had in effect split the synod and undermined the unity of the Orthodox Church.

Under the previous government of Mengistu, the honorable bodily remains of early 1900s Emperor Haile Sellasie was thrashed under a palace toilet but it was recovered in 1992.^[8] During the burial of Haile Sellasie who was, Abune Paulos paid tribute to the Emperor by stressing his contribution to the Church, the country, Africa and the world.^[9]

Honors/award

Abune Paulos is a renowned scholar and peace advocate and a former exile in the United States who has worked on reconciliation between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Paulos and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church have also been specially involved in the support of war-displaced and drought-hit Ethiopians, making the Church one of the major "relief organizations" in the country. His peace efforts and humanitarian work were the main reasons for his being chosen to receive the Nansen Medal by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR).^[10] The Nansen Medal Award was launched in 1955 by UNHCR's first High Commissioner, G.J. van Heuven Goedhart. It is named after the famous Norwegian polar explorer and humanitarian, Fridtjof Nansen, the first League of Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the winner of the 1922 Nobel Prize for Peace. Patriarch Abune Paulos also met with President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir of Sudan in Khartoum to try to find a peaceful solution to the Darfur conflict that has been labeled as a genocide by Western critics. Abune Paulos said “No one loves Africa more than Africans.” The Patriarch stated that finding an "African solution" is significant to curb problems of the continent. ^[11] He also held talks with senior government officials and religious leaders during his five-day working visit to Khartoum and called for religious leaders to strengthern their efforts towards peace. He has also served as a member of central committee of WCC and the Faith and Order commission, and attended the Nairobi assembly. ^[12] Abune Paulos is also one of the rare exceptionally educated Patriarch's in Ethiopia history because he had completed various degrees and received his doctoral degree at prestigious institutions. His Holiness Abune Paulos is the current president of World Council of Churches as well. ^[13] He is an alumni of Princeton University. ^[14]

Links and References

1. ^ Abuna Paulos leds a Fundraising committee
2. ^ Tabots from the British Museum
3. ^ church University in Entoto
4. ^ Photos from the visit of Abune Paulos to Saint Teklahimanot Coptic church in Alex
5. ^ TWO WCC MEMBER CHURCHES finalize RECONCILIATION
6. ^ After crisis that started 2 decades ago ETOC reconciles with the Coptic Orthodox Church
7. ^ Mengistu genocide 1,500,000 people dead
8. ^ Haile Sellasie remains found in toilet
9. ^ Abune Paulos paying tribute to Haile Sellasie
10. ^ Paulos profile and award
11. ^ Abune Paulos talks about Sudan
12. ^ WCC service
13. ^ President of WCC
14. ^ Princeton University