Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==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]]]] [[John Chrysostom]] speaks of the "Ethiopians present in Jerusalem" as being able to understand the preaching of [[Saint Peter|Peter]] in [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]], 2:38.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Possible missions of some of the [[Apostles in the New Testament|Apostles]] in the lands now called [[Ethiopia]] is also reported as early as the 4th century. [[Socrates of Constantinople]] includes Ethiopia in his list as one of the regions preached by [[Matthew the Apostle]],<ref>Socrates and Sozomenus Ecclesiastical Histories, p. 57.</ref> where a specific mention of "Ethiopia south of the Caspian Sea" can be confirmed in some traditions such as the [[Roman Catholic Church]] among others.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title = St. Matthew | encyclopedia = Catholic Encyclopedia |url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10056b.htm|access-date = 2015-12-04}}</ref> Ethiopian Church tradition tells that [[Bartholomew the Apostle|Bartholomew]] accompanied [[Matthew the Apostle|Matthew]] in a mission which lasted for at least three months.<ref name="ReferenceA">Meskel and the Ethiopians. EOTC Publication Committee, September 2015</ref> Paintings depicting these missions can be seen in the Church of St. Matthew found in the [[Province of Pisa]], in northern [[Italy]] portrayed by Francesco Trevisan (1650–1740) and [[Marco Benefial]] (1688–1764).<ref>Meskel and the Ethiopians. EOTC Publication Committee September 2015</ref> 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 AD writes that "Simon Backos" preached the good news in his homeland outlining also the theme of his preaching as being the coming in flesh of God that "was preached to you all before."<ref>Irenaeus of Lyons, "Adversus haereses" III. 12. 8</ref> The same kind of witness is shared by 3rd and 4th century writers such as [[Eusebius|Eusebius of Caesarea]]<ref>Eusebius Pamphilius, Church History</ref> and [[Origen|Origen of Alexandria]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> [[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. In 2016, archaeologists excavated a 4th-century AD basilica (radio-carbon dated) in northeastern Ethiopia at a site called [[Beta Samati]]. This is the earliest known physical evidence of a church in sub-Saharan Africa.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Harrower|first= Michael J|date=Winter 2019|title=Beta Samati: discovery and excavation of an Aksumite town|url= https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/643FA872A5B2F9B5E0E765D850C4A526/S0003598X1900084Xa.pdf/beta_samati_discovery_and_excavation_of_an_aksumite_town.pdf|journal=Antiquity |volume=93| issue = 372|pages= 1534–52 |doi=10.15184/aqy.2019.84|via=Cambridge.org|doi-access=free}}</ref> ===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=== The period of [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]] influence, which broke the connection with Egypt, began a new chapter in church history. The initiative in [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] missions to Ethiopia was taken not by [[Rome]], but by [[Portugal]], in the course of a conflict with the [[Muslim]] [[Ottoman Empire]] and the [[Sultanate of Adal]] for the command of the trade route to [[India]] via the [[Red Sea]].{{sfn|Butler|1911|pp=95-96}} In 1507, [[Mateus (ambassador)|Mateus]], or Matthew, an [[Armenians|Armenian]], had been sent as an Ethiopian envoy to Portugal. In 1520, an embassy under Dom Rodrigo de Lima landed in Ethiopia. An interesting account of the Portuguese mission, which lasted for several years, was written by [[Francisco Álvares]], its chaplain.{{sfn|Butler|1911|p=96}} 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 (1841-1867)]] 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> The Coptic and Ethiopian churches reached an agreement on 13 July 1948, that led to [[autocephaly]] for the Ethiopian Church. Five [[bishop]]s were immediately consecrated by the Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa, empowered to elect a new patriarch for their church, and the successor to Qerellos IV would have the power to consecrate new bishops.<ref>Discussed in fuller detail by Perham, ''Government of Ethiopia'', pp. 126–130</ref> This promotion was completed when Coptic Orthodox [[Pope Joseph II of Alexandria|Pope Joseph II]] consecrated an Ethiopian-born Archbishop, [[Abuna Basilios]], 14 January 1951. Then in 1959, [[Pope Cyril VI of Alexandria]] crowned Basilios as the first Patriarch of Ethiopia. [[File:Display of Procesional Crosses, Church of Bet Maryam, Lalibela, Ethiopia (3230772118).jpg|thumb|left|An Ethiopian Orthodox priest displays the [[processional cross]]es.]] Basilios died in 1970, and was succeeded that year by [[Abune Tewophilos|Tewophilos]]. With the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church was disestablished as the [[state church]]. The new Marxist government began nationalizing property (including land) owned by the church. Tewophilos was arrested in 1976 by the [[Marxism|Marxist]] [[Derg]] [[military junta]], and secretly executed in 1979. The government ordered the church to elect a new Patriarch, and [[Abune Takla Haymanot|Takla Haymanot]] was enthroned. The Coptic Orthodox Church refused to recognize the election and enthronement of Tekle Haymanot on the grounds that the [[Synod]] of the Ethiopian Church had not removed Tewophilos and that the government had not publicly acknowledged his death, and he was thus still the legitimate Patriarch of Ethiopia. Formal relations between the two churches were halted, although they remained in communion with each other. Formal relations between the two churches resumed on July 13, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/v04/doc/English/visitseng.htm#11|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080828004034/http://www.armenianorthodoxchurch.org/v04/doc/English/visitseng.htm#11|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-08-28|title="Common Declaration" of Pope Shenoudah III, Catholicos Aram I, and Patriarch Paulos | work = News and Media | publisher = Armenian Orthodox Church | date = 22 July 2007}}</ref> Tekle Haymanot proved to be much less accommodating to the Derg regime than it had expected, and so when the patriarch died in 1988, a new patriarch with closer ties to the regime was sought. The Archbishop of [[Gondar]], a member of the Derg-era Ethiopian Parliament, was elected and enthroned as [[Abuna Merkorios]]. Following the fall of the Derg regime in 1991, and the coming to power of the [[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front|EPRDF]] government, Merkorios abdicated under public pressure. The church then elected a new Patriarch, [[Abune Paulos|Paulos]], who was recognized by the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria. The former Merkorios then fled abroad, and announced from exile that his abdication had been made under duress and thus he was still the legitimate Patriarch of Ethiopia. Several bishops also went into exile and formed a break-away alternate synod.<ref name= "nyt1992-09-22">{{Cite news | last= Goldman | first=Ari L. | title=U.S. Branch Leaves Ethiopian Orthodox Church | url= https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/22/nyregion/us-branch-leaves-ethiopian-orthodox-church.html | newspaper= [[The New York Times]] | date=22 September 1992 | access-date=29 April 2016 }}</ref> The [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church]] was granted [[Autocephaly of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church|autocephaly]] from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on 28 September 1993 following ratification by Coptic church Patriarch [[Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria|Shenouda III]]. The schism has met opposition from dissent that saw it as a disintegration of Ethiopia's spiritual heritage.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Prunier |first1=Gérard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KYmMCwAAQBAJ&dq=Shortly+after+the+Eritrean+independence+referendum+in+April+1993,+the+Eritrean+clergy+asked+the+Coptic+Patriarch+Shenouda+III+to+grant+autonomy+from+Ethiopia.&pg=PA80 |title=Understanding Contemporary Ethiopia |last2=Ficquet |first2=Éloi |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-1-84904-261-1 |language=en}}</ref> As of 2005, there are many Ethiopian Orthodox churches located throughout the United States and other countries to which Ethiopians have migrated (Archbishop Yesehaq 1997). 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.]] Declaring the end of a 26-year-old schism, the church announced that it acknowledges two Patriarchs, Merkorios, Fourth Patriarch of Ethiopia and Mathias I, Sixth Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, Archbishop of Axum and Ichege of the See of Saint Taklehaimanot.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://borkena.com/2018/07/26/ethiopian-church-officially-declared-reunification-in-the-presence-of-pm/ |website= Borkena Ethiopian News |title= Ethiopian Church officially declared reunification in the presence of PM Abiy Ahmed |date= 2018-07-26 |url-status= bot: unknown |archive-date= 2021-09-23 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210923091546/https://borkena.com/2018/07/26/ethiopian-church-officially-declared-reunification-in-the-presence-of-pm/ |access-date= 2021-09-11 }}</ref> 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> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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