Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Motherland, Diaspora Resume Dialogue

At its recent session this past weekend the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church blessed the resumption of dialogue between the Addis Abeba Patriarchate and the Synod in Exile of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the Ethiopian and Eritrean Diasporas. More here.

The Synod in Exile is led by Patriarch Abune Merqoriyos, the former Archbishop of Gonder who was elected to the patriarchate under the Ethiopian Communist regime. When the latter was overthrown by a Tigrayan Marxist movement in the 1990s, Abune Merqoriyos was forced into retirement and replaced by an ethnic Tigrayan. Abune Merqoriyos now leads a large contingent of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church outside Ethiopia, with a hierarchy and parishes scattered across the globe.

Ethiopian Orthodox Church Consecrated in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia's first Ethiopian Orthodox church has been consecrated in the provincial capital, Halifax. Although an Ethiopian Orthodox parish has existed in the city for several years, it wasn't until recently that it acquired its own temple, which was donated by a local parish of the Anglican Church of Canada. More here.

Ethiopian Migrant Workers Return from Middle East

A number of Ethiopian migrant workers deported as political unrest and economic uncertainty sweep through Yemen and the rest of the Middle East have been returned to Ethiopia, many with stories of mistreatment and abuse. More here.

Ethiopian Government Arrests Opposition Members

A coalition of Ethiopian opposition parties, Medrek, is claiming that the Ethiopian government has arrested 250 of its members due to plans to hold protests against the government's abuse of electoral laws. The arrests come as the Ethiopian government ramps up efforts to raise its support in the Ethiopian Diaspora, many of whose members left Ethiopia due to political oppression under the former Communist regime and the current EPRDF government. More here.