The Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has dismissed calls from the government to resolve the dispute over the establishment of ‘new Holy Synod’ for the Oromia regional state, Mereja.com sources have disclosed.
The call was made on Wednesday by Abrham Belay, Ethiopia’s Minister of Defence and other religious fathers who appeared to have partaken in the regular session of the Holy Synod without invitation, the sources have said,
The call came after a group of Bishops, who established a new Holy Synod, warned that they would appoint a new patricarch for Ethiopia if the serving Patriarch is not approving the recent archbishops’ appointments the ‘new Synod’ made last Sunday.
Responding to the government’s call, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Abune Matias said the issue has to do with the supremacy of law and is against the church’s rules and regulations.
“It is not something that can be solved through negotiation;” the Patriarch was qouted as telling to the defence minister and his companion.
In its resolution passed on Monday, the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has suspended salaries of the Bishops who were allegedly involved in violation of the Church’s law and banned them from accessing any Church across the country.
The group has appointed Bishop Abune Sawiros as the Head Bishop for the Oromo region. It has ordained “Bishops” in Wolisso as part of the move to declare itself independent from the Ethiopian Holy Synod. There have been efforts in the past to establish the “Oromia Holy Synod” but was reversed with mediation from Ethiopian Church fathers.
It is to be recalled that Bishop Abune Sawiros on Sunday announced the establishment of a new Holy Synod and appointed 26 archbishops without the knowledge of the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Bishop Abune Sawiros ran in the June election for the position of Head of the Ethiopian Church but finished third securing only seven votes.
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