REFLECTION BY THE FRATERNAL DELEGATE HIS HOLINESS ABUNA PAULOS, PATRIARCH OF THE ETHIOPIAN
TEWAHEDO ORTHODOX CHURCH (ETHIOPIA)
TUESDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2009 VATICAN CITY
In
the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit One God, Amen! Dear participants
of this great congress of Cardinals and Bishops. I feel honoured and privileged
to be invited to this grand Synod and deliver a brief speech about Africa and Churches
in this continent. I am especially grateful to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, who
wanted me among you today and who personally witnessed to me his love for Africa and
his respect for the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, during our last fraternal
meeting here in Rome last June. Africa is the second largest continent. It is home
to all kinds of people with a great variety of colours who live in harmony and equality.
This
spectrum of colours is a gift from God to Africa and it adds beauty to the continent.
It is furthermore the proof that Africa is a continent where all kinds of people live
in equality regardless of difference in colour and race. Anthropologists, philosophers,
and academicians confirmed that Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular is indeed
the cradle of mankind. And the Holy Bible confirms this profound conviction. History,
according to the Ethiopian calendar starts from Adam and Noah. That is to say that
for the Ethiopians the beginning of mankind, our present and our future is marked
today and for ever by God and His salvation. Africa, whose people’s ancient dignity
is written in the stones of the Axum obelisk, Egyptian pyramids, of monuments as well
as manuscripts, was not only a source of civilization. According to the Holy Bible,
Africa was also a refuge for people who were hit by hunger: this is the case of the
Jews at the time of Jacob when they spent seven years in Egypt. The Holy Bible
states that the Jews and the prophet Jeremiah who suffered a lot from the aggression
of the Babylonians were saved in Ethiopia and Egypt. People who were living in Middle
Eastern parts of the world had been relieved from their hunger in Ethiopia and Egypt. Jesus
Christ Himself and Saint Mary were welcomed in Egypt, while fleeing the cruel threat
of Herod. It is clear that Africans do care for humanity! Africa remains a religious
continent whose people have believed in the Almighty God for centuries. Queen Sheba
had taught her compatriots about the Old Testament which she learnt from Israel. Since
then, The Ark of the Covenant is in Ethiopia, in the city of Axum. The son of queen
Sheba, Manlike I, had followed her example and managed to bring the Ark of the Covenant
of Moses to Africa, Ethiopia. The history of the Ethiopian eunuch and the strong,
well organized Law of Moses, and the religious practices and cultures in depth that
exist in Ethiopia indicate that the Law of Moses used to be practiced in Ethiopia
better than that of in Israel. Still this can be witnessed by studying culture and
living style of Ethiopians. It is in Alexandria, Egypt, where the Holy Bible was
translated into non-Hebrew languages. These African translations are known as the
“Translation of the Seventy Scholars”. (‘Sebeka Likawunt’) Holy Scripture indicates
that like the ancient times in the Old Testament, Africans have the custom of worshiping
by the law of conscience in the New Testament period. The then Ethiopian king of
kings, emperor Bazen, was one of the kings who went to Bethlehem to worship the child
Jesus. The Gospel tells us that it was an African, a man from Libya, named Simon
of Cyrene took upon himself the Cross of Jesus as He was going to Golgotha. And
behold, an Ethiopian eunuch had come to Jerusalem in 34 AD to worship God in accordance
with the Law of Moses. By the order of the Holy Spirit, the eunuch was baptized by
Philip. Upon his return to Africa, the eunuch preached Christianity to his nation.
Then Ethiopia became the second nation after Israel to believe in Christ; and the
Ethiopian Church became the first Church in Africa. Great stories of faith have
marked the first centuries of Christianity in Africa because Africans have always
lived a profound charity and a great devotion in the New Testament. Africa is the
region from where celebrated scholars and religious fathers , such as St. Augustinos,
St. Tertulianos, St. Siprianos as well as St. Athnasius and St. Kerlos come from.
These fathers are celebrated both in the continent and world wide.
St. Yared
who has composed beautiful Church hymns and whom the world recognizes for his outstanding
creativity, was also originally from Africa. St. Yared is a son of Ethiopia. St. Yared’s
hymns are among the wonders of the world for which Ethiopia is known to the world.
The deeds of all these Fathers characterize Africa. According to scholars it is
in Africa that the first Canon of the Holy Bible was defined. History also reminds
us of the martyrdom of Christians in North Africa when, their kind, a non-believer,
raised the sword against them in the effort of completely destroy Christianity. At
the same time Christians who were mistreated and persecuted in different parts of
the world came to Africa, especially to Ethiopia and have lived in peace in the region. Devoted
Ethiopians have also demonstrated their outstanding hospitality to the nine Saints
and other tens of thousands of Christians who were persecuted from Eastern Europe
and came to Africa in groups. The residences and the tombs of those persecuted Christians
have been kept as sacred shrines in various parts of Ethiopia. In Africa and in
Ethiopia we have pieces of the Holy Cross. The right part of the Cross has been kept
in Ethiopia, in a place called Goshen Mountain. The Cross of Christ was carried
also by the Christians of Africa. I am thinking about my Church that recently suffered
a hard persecution during the communist dictatorship, with many new martyrs among
whom the Patriarch Theophilos, and before him, Abuna Petros, during the colonial period.
I myself, then a bishop, spent long years in jail before being exiled. When I became
Patriarch, after the end of communism, there was much to be rebuilt. This has been
our work, through the help of God, the prayer of our monks and the generosity of the
faithful. Africa is a potentially wealthy continent, with fertile soil, natural
resources, and a variety of plants and animal species. Africa has a suitable climate
and possesses several precious minerals. For it has been a continent with many untapped
natural resources, many have still their eyes on it. It is also undeniable that the
civilization gains in other parts of the world is the result of labour and resource
from Africa. Africans have done such blessed works for the world. What has the
world done for them? Africa had been badly colonized and its resources have been
exploited. The rich nations who developed exploiting African resources remember Africa
only when they need something from it. They haven’t supported the continent in its
struggle for the development at all. Each and every nation of the continent have
various problems and challenges. The problem could be social, political, economic,
as well as spiritual. While the living standard of the African peoples is lower
than that of the rest of the world, there are some reasons why such poor living standards
get worse and expand all over the continent. The lack of access to education is the
major problem in which the youth as a result fail to get enough education. No country
and people do achieve development and prosperity without education and knowledge. As
we all are well aware, the HIV/AIDS pandemic could not be averted despite relentless
efforts. However, we should encourage all those experiences that show us how to heal
and resist evil, to give hope by creating synergy and by providing to Africa the same
treatments Europe itself has received. At the same time other kinds of diseases are
currently threatening badly. We call the world to work in harmony in this regard.
The Council of All African Churches is exerting efforts to curb the problems being
occurred in the continent especially the chaos which extremists are creating. Religious
leaders of Christianity and the faithful in general should join hands in this endeavour. Africa
is enchained by heavy global debts that both the current generation nor the future
ones can bear.
In what way should we condemn the civil war that is usually
fought by child soldiers who are also the victims of these tragic violent acts. How
to condemn the overtly and covertly displacement and migration of people? The International
Human Rights Law clearly states that any person under the age of 18 cannot be a member
of any fighting group because he is a ‘child’. However, some countries are currently
forcing children under 18 into military service. This is a clear violation of human
rights. Therefore, it is mandatory for leaders of African Churches to cry out as one
voice that these behaviours have to stop at once. Therefore, I would like to use
the floor to urge all religious leaders to work for peace and protect the natural
resources God gave us, and defend the life and innocence of children. In a significant
number of African countries, basic necessities such as food and potable water and
shelter couldn’t be realized. Generally speaking, most Africans live in a situation
where there is a shortage of most of the basic human necessities and services. Though
Africa declared its freedom from colonialism long ago, there are still many circumstances
which make it dependent on the rich countries. The enormous debt, the exploitation
of its natural resources by few, the traditional agricultural practice and unsatisfactory
introduction of modern agricultural systems, the dependency of its people on rain
which impacted negatively in ensuring food security, migration and brain drain of
its people greatly affecting the continent. I am hopeful that as their Graces African
cardinals and bishops had discussed this issue previously, today this great synod
would discuss the issue and propose possible solutions. I believe that we, religious
leaders and Heads of Churches, have a very unique task and responsibility: to acknowledge
and sustain, when we deem it necessary, the suggestions that come from the people,
as, on the contrary, to reject them when they contradict the respect and love for
Man, that has its roots in the Gospel. Christians are expected to be messengers
of change in bringing justice, peace, reconciliation and development. It is what I
saw pursued with determination and humility by the Community of Sant’Egidio in all
of Africa: fruits of peace and healing are possible, and they undermine all forms
of violence, with the strength and the Christian intelligence of love. African religious
leaders not only have to worry about the social works but also answer to the great
spiritual needs of the women and men of Africa. Apostleship and social works cannot
be treated separately. Social work is the meaning of apostleship. Every word has to
be translated in practice. Hence, after every word and promise, practical actions
need to follow. Religious fathers are also expected to enhance the awareness of the
public to honour human right, peace and justice. Society needs the teachings of their
religious fathers in a bid to help them solve their problems in unity and to free
themselves from being the target of a problem. Thus leaders of African Churches,
with the power of the Almighty God and the Holy Spirit, need to voice the language
of the Church. It is also necessary to realize when, how and to whom to speak. This
should be done for the safety of the Churches. I am really very happy to participate
to this Synod of the Catholic Church on Africa. I am an African. My Church is the
oldest of Africa: a Church of Martyrs, Saints and monks. I carry my support as a friend
and a brother to this endeavour of the Catholic Church for Africa. I thank His Holiness
for the invitation and I wish to him a long life and a fruitful ministry. Let us
speak of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the heart of the Africans and Jesus will return
to Africa, as he did when he was a child together with the Virgin Mary. And peace,
mercy and justice will come together with Jesus! May God bless the Churches in
Africa and their pastors! Amen!