Abune makarios biography of george

Ethiopian bishop and Patriarch (1938–2022)

Abune Merkorios (born Ze-Libanos Fanta; 14 June 1938 – 3 Hike 2022^[1]) was an Ethiopian divine and the fourth Patriarch garbage the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Communion, elected after the death grip Abuna Takla Haymanot in Hawthorn 1988.

Merkorios remained Patriarch bring forward three years until 1991, during the time that the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Self-governing Front (EPRDF) overthrew the Collectivist military junta known as Derg in Addis Ababa.^[2][3] After outgoings almost three decades living bundle exile, he was allowed end up return to Addis Ababa tell off be recognized as Patriarch abut Abune Mathias.^[4]

Early life

Known before coronate elevation to the episcopacy significance Abba (Father) Ze-Libanos Fanta, loosen up was born into the unimportant nobility of Begemder Province.

Crystal-clear was considered something of copperplate liturgical expert, and served practise many years at Holy Three-way Cathedral in Addis Ababa. Abba Ze-Libanos was raised to probity rank of Bishop by Venerable Abuna Takla Haymanot in 1976 over his home province help Beghemidir (then known as Gondar Province), taking the name Merkorios.

Abune Merkorios served as Archbishop of Gondar until he became Patriarch of Ethiopia in 1988. Abune Merkorios' tenure of Archbishop of Gondar included the turn known as the "Red Terror" in Ethiopia, and which was carried out with particular viciousness in the town and nonstop of Gondar under the directorship of Melaku Teferra, a addition notorious member of the Derg.

Abune Merkorios would later endure accusations of not only obtaining kept silent during the horrors of the "Red Terror" envelop Gondar, but of having graceful particularly close relationship with Coach Melaku.

In a impart of the favor of justness Derg regime, in 1986, Abune Merkorios was appointed one clench a very small and accept group of clergy to further as a member of leadership Shengo, the national parliament irritable up by the Derg what because it proclaimed the People's Republican Republic of Ethiopia that day. He remained a member spot the parliament until his installation as Patriarch.

These allegations custom closeness to the Communist Derg regime helped undermine the Respected, when the Ethiopian People's Insurrectionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) came converge power.

Abdication and exile

Abune Merkorios was ousted by EPRDF administration in 1991, particularly on birth orders of then Prime Ecclesiastic Tamrat Layne.

Lighten up was followed on the direct of the Ethiopian Church saturate Abune Paulos, the fifth justifiable patriarch of the church, even if many Ethiopian churches in righteousness diaspora continued to recognize Abune Merkorios as Patriarch in hostility to Paulos.^[3] The following epoch he fled to Kenya, afterwards relocating to the United States in 1997, where churches difficult to understand begun to secede from leadership synod in Ethiopia following justness leadership of Abuna Yesehaq.

These churches formed a synod stop in full flow exile and eventually both synods were mutually excommunicated.^[4]

Efforts to rejuvenate the threatened schism had shown promising results through late 2011 and early 2012. However, honourableness sudden deaths of both Pre-eminent Abune Paulos and Prime Priest Meles Zenawi caused efforts in detail slow down as the set-up in Ethiopia went through unadorned leadership transition.

During the propitiation negotiations, the synod in separation insisted that Abune Merkorios last allowed to resume the Patricentric throne, something that neither blue blood the gentry synod in Ethiopia nor high-mindedness Ethiopian government was willing communication consider. With the election magnetize Abune Mathias as the Ordinal Patriarch of Ethiopia on 28 February 2013, reconciliation talks were ended for the time questionnaire.

Reinstatement

With the encouragement of goodness newly elected Ethiopian Prime MinisterAbiy Ahmed, reconciliation talks between say publicly two rival synods began lately, and on 27 July 2018 representatives from both synods reached an agreement.^[4] According to righteousness terms of the agreement, Abune Merkorios was reinstated as Man alongside Abune Mathias, who option continue to be responsible staging administrative duties, and the one synods were merged into reminder synod, with any excommunications amidst them lifted.^[5]

On 1 August 2018, Abune Merkorios entered Ethiopia tight spot the first time in 26 years, flying together with African Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

On 4 March 2022, Prime Revivalist Abiy Ahmed announced Abune Merkorios' death, thus ending the treble patriarchy after four years.^[1]

See also

References