November 20,2016
Video credit : Social Media
It is no secret that Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church -otherwise called the Ethiopian Church – has been identified as one of the key institutions to attack so as to weaken Ethiopia as a country.
Unlike the past, much of the war against it in recent time has been waged from within. At the foundation of it all this is an arrangement and sabotage by the administration in the country.
As many of you may know, political imposition from TPLF on the structure and functions of the Ethiopian church led to schism when Abune Merkorios was wrested patriarchate vested on him through spiritual process in the holy synod. The result was that he fled the country, apparently he was encouraged to do so by political leaders, and set up a synod in the diaspora.
The situation seem to have created fertile ground for what seem to be a funded faction to demolish the church from within.One of the ways in which the pursuit to demolish the Ethiopian church manifested itself is through deforming its practices and rituals. Ans has caused a lot of resistance from Ethiopians who value the Ethiopian church.
Now the pursuit to change the Ethiopian church seem to be succeeding in the Ethiopian churches based in the diaspora.
Immigrant communities, so to speak, live very strong pressure to integrate with the society to which they immigrated to and the urge to integrate is understandable, it is even a matter of survival, from that trajectory.
However, unlike in the realm of culture, subjecting the realm of spirituality and religion to the integration process is a total disservice to the Ethiopian church. It even sounds as a crime against followers of Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Perhaps, the sentiment to deform Ethiopian church in a way to make it suitable to the “modern world” rather than to God is a spill over from cultural integration. And that is where the holy synod in the disapora should step in and clearly delineate the line.
Songs of praise are very distinct and very crucial to the Ethiopian church and they should be treated as such. The video above shows unacceptable song practice which is at odds with the values of the Ethiopian church.
If the church is not of good taste, it is absolutely understandable to pursue other forms of churches. But it is not alright to demolish the Ethiopian church from within ; it constitutes one of the most immoral acts and it is even against the principle of religious freedom. Church prelates should never be lenient on matters like these.
Mahelet from Bole Medhane Alem Church in Addis Ababa
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