New Patriarch of Ethiopia Elected

A special council of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church has elected Archbishop Abune Matiyas (Asrat) of Jerusalem as the sixth Patriarch of Ethiopia. Born in Sebuha, Tigray, in 1940, as Teklemaryam Asrat, the future patriarch received a traditional clerical education, being ordained a deacon in 1954 prior to his entrance into Tigray's Chohay Monastery, where he was tonsured a monk in 1962.

Two years after his tonsure and ordination to the priesthood Fr. Teklemaryam was attached to Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Abeba, eventually becoming the personal secretary of Patriarch Tekle Haimanot of blessed memory. In 1978 Fr. Teklemaryam was consecrated to the episcopacy with the name Matiyas (Matthias), eventually being elected Archbishop of Jerusalem.

At today's electoral council Abune Matiyas received 500 of the 806 total votes cast. Abune Matiyas is the second ethnically Tigrayan patriarch of the Church of Ethiopia, the large majority of whose members are Amhara or Oromo. His enthronement as the sixth patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church will be celebrated this Sunday with the participation of delegations from sister Orthodox Churches. More here and here.

Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch To Be Buried in Addis Abeba

It has been reported that the newly reposed Patriarch Abune Paul (Wolde Yohannes) of Ethiopia will be buried in central Addis Abeba's Cathedral of the Holy Trinity this coming Thursday. Holy Trinity, built under Emperor Haile Silase I after World War II to commemorate the end of the Italian occupation, is the resting place of the last Ethiopian emperor, his wife Empress Menen, and the late Patriarch Abune Tekle Haimanot of thrice blessed memory, and has served as the patriarchal cathedral of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church since its consecration. More here.