List of abunas of Ethiopia
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This is a list of the Abunas of Ethiopia, the spiritual heads of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. This church is one of the Oriental Orthodoxy communion, granted autocephaly by the Coptic Orthodox Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa in 1959.
Bishops of Axum
- Abune Selama I Kesatay Birhan (St. Frumentius) (c. 305-mid 4th century)
- Minas or Elyas[1]
- Abreham of Axum (late 4th century-early 5th century )
- Petros of Axum
- Abba Afse (late 5th century-early 6th century)
- Qozmos of Axum (fl. early 6th century)
- Euprepius of Axum (fl. early 6th century )
- vacant c.537-562[2]
Metropolitan Archbishops of Axum and of All Ethiopia
- Qerellos of Ethiopia (620s-mid 7th century)
- unknown
- Yohannes of Ethiopia (c. 820-840)
- Yaqob I of Ethiopia (fl. mid 9th century)
- Salama Za-'Azeb (fl. 9th century)
- Bartalomewos of Ethiopia (fl. 10th century)
- Peter (920s), opposed by Minas and Fiqtor
- vacant c. 940-970s
- Daniel (fl. late 10th century)
- Fiqtor of Ethiopia (fl. 11th century)
- 'Abdun of Ethiopia, claimant
- Sawiros (1077–1092)
- Giyorgis I of Ethiopia (fl. 1090s)
- Mikael I of Ethiopia (fl. early-mid 12th century)
- Yaqob II of Ethiopia
- Gabra Krestos
- Atnatewos (fl. late 12th century)
- Mikael II of Fuwa (1206–1209), opposed by Hirun
- Yeshaq of Ethiopia (c. 1209-1225)
- Giyorgis II of Ethiopia (c.1225)
- Saint Tekle Haymanot (c. 13th century), according to tradition
- Yohannes (XIII?) (fl. 14th century)
- Yaqob (III ?) (c.1337-1344)
- vacant (1344–1348)
- Salama II (1348–1388)
- Bartalomewos of Ethiopia (1398/9-1436)
- Mikael of Ethiopia and Gabriel of Ethiopia (1438–1458)
- vacant (1458–1481)
- Yeshaq of Ethiopia (1481-c.1520)
- Marqos (VI ?) (1481-c.1530)
- João Bermudes (c.1536-c.1545), self-proclaimed Ethiopian Orthodox Abuna, and Catholic Patriarch of Ethiopia and Alexandria
- Endyras of Ethiopia (c.1545-?)
- Andre de Oviedo (1557–1577), Catholic bishop
- Marqos (VII?) (c. 1565)
- Krestodolos I (c. 1590)
- Petros (VI ?) (1599?-1606), killed in battle
- Simon of Ethiopia (1607–1622), died 1624
- Afonso Mendes (1622–1632), Catholic Patriarch, deposed by Fasilides
- vacant (1632–1633)
- Rezek of Ethiopia (c.1634)
- Marqos (VIII ?) (c.1635-1672), deposed with Krestodolos
- Krestodolos II (c.1640-1672), deposed with Marqos
- Sinoda of Ethiopia (1672–1687)
- vacant (1687–1689)
- Marqos (IX ?) (1689-late 17th century)
- Abba Mikael (1640–1699)
- Marqos X of Ethiopia (1694–1716)
- vacant (1716–1718)
- Krestodolos III (c. 1718-1745)
- vacant (1745-c. 1747)
- Yohannes XIV (c. 1747-1770)
- Yosab III (1770–1803)
- vacant (1803-c. 1808)
- Makarios (fl. c. 1808)
- vacant (c. 1808-1816)
- Kyrillos (Qerellos) III (1816–1829)
- vacant (1829–1841)
- Salama III (1841–1867)
- vacant (1867–1868)
- Atnatewos II (1868–1876)
- Petros VII (1876–1889), died 1918
- Mattheos X (1889–1926)
- Qerellos IV (1926–1936), deposed
- Abraham (1936–1939)
- Yohannes XV (1939–1945)
- Qerellos IV (1945–1950), restored
- Basilios (1951–1959)
On 13 July 1948, the Coptic Orthodox and Ethiopian Churches reached an agreement that led to the elevation of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church to the rank of an Autonomous Church; allowing the Archbishop of All Ethiopia to consecrate on his own bishops and metropolitans for the Ethiopian Church and to form a local Holy Synod. The Archbishop, however, is consecrated by the Pope of Alexandria along with the members of the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Patriarch Catholicoi of All Ethiopia, since 1959
- Basilios (1959–1970)
- Theophilos (1971–1976), executed in 1979
- Takla Haymanot (1976–1988)
- Merkorios (1988–1991), Abuna until the EPRDF's triumph over the Derg in Addis Ababa;
- Paulos (1991–2012)
- Mathias (2013-incumbent)[4]
In 1959, the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria granted autocephaly to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and elevated the Archbishop to the Patriarchal dignity and was enthroned with the title of: Patriarch and Re'ese Liqane Papasat Echege (Catholicos) of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The title of Ichege (Supreme Abbot) of the See of St. Tekle Haimanot of Debre Libanos was subsumed into the Patriarchate. The title of Ichege was revived and the title of Archbishop of Axum was added to the Patriarchal titles in 2005, as Axum was the seat of Ethiopia's first Bishop, and the thus the oldest see in the church.
See also
- Abuna
- Coptic Christianity
- Oriental Orthodoxy
- Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
- Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church
References
- ^ Minas according to the Gadla Afse, while Elyas according to the source of Conti Rossini in Acta Yared et Pantalewon. Sergew Hable Selassie, Ancient and Medieval Ethiopian History to 1270. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: United Printers, p.116
- ^ Due to the exiling of Patriarch Theodosius I and his replacement with the Chalcedonian Patriarch Paul, according to an Arabic source. Sergew, Ancient and Medieval Ethiopian History, p.142.
- ^ "FORMER PRIME MINISTER TAMRAT LAYNE MEETS AMBASSADOR". Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ^ "His Holiness Abune Mathias elected as sixth Patriach of Ethiopian Orthodox Church". The Sheba Post. 28 February 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2013.