As a fellow Orthodox Tewahedo Christian, I write with a heavy heart over the suffering of our brothers and sisters in the Arsi and East Arsi Zones of Oromia region, Ethiopia. In recent years and months, Orthodox Christians have been killed in their homes, in markets, and even inside churches during worship — among them a parish priest and a hermit monk of Asebot Holy Trinity Monastery. The century-old St. Gabriel Church of Telata Chefa was burned to the ground, and hundreds of families have been displaced, sheltering in a distant churches and community houses for safety.
The Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has repeatedly appealed for protection — yet the violence continues.
I call on the wider Oriental Orthodox family and the global church community —
@PopeTawadros @malankaranews @holyetchmiadzin @Oikoumene @AaccCeta — to raise their voices in solidarity and prayer for our suffering brethren in Ethiopia, and to encourage the protection of civilians and places of worship.
“If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.” (1 Cor 12:26)
🙏✝️
#PrayForEthiopia #OrthodoxUnderAttack