By Medihane Ekubamichael @Medihane
Addis Abeba – His Holiness Abune Mathias I, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, arrived in Mekelle this morning at the Ra’s Alula Abanega International Airport to attend the funeral of His Holiness Abune Yohannes II. Upon arrival, His Holiness was welcomed by the Archbishop and the leadership of the Supreme Priesthood of the See of Selama Kessate Beharan, Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church, priests, Sunday School Youth and followers.
The Patriarch traveled to Tigray for the first time after the two-year long war in Tigray ended through mediated agreements between the Federal government and TPLF reached in Pretoria and Nairobi since last November to permanently end hostilities to bring a lasting peace.
His travel to the region came only a week after the Tigray Orthodox Church Council of Bishops rejected the Synod’s earlier letters sent to five Archbishops in the Tigray regional state requesting for talks of “reconciliation.”
Liqe Tiguhan Eskinder Gebrekiristos, Public Communication Directorate Head of the Holy Synod told Addis Standard that His Holiness has traveled to Mekelle for return on the day trip, in accordance to a decision by the Holy Synod with only purpose of his attendance to the farewell ceremony of the late His Holiness Abune Yohannes II and comforting those in grief.
According to Liqe Tiguhan Eskinder, who refuted speculations associating the Patriarch’s visit to Tigray with talks over the rift between the EOTC and the Tigray Orthodox Church, said that the Patriarch is to return to his seat in the afternoon after and won’t be privately discussing on the matter that was addressed back to the Synod from Tigray Orthodox Church.
His Holiness has been accompanied by members of delegations including Archbishops His Holiness Abune Tomas and His Holiness Abune Entons, according to the Synod’s Communication.
According to his biography, the deceased, His Holiness Abune Yohannes was born on April 28, 1936, from his father, Alaka, in a kebele called Yeh Debre Hamelmal aka Mezbr in the Central zone, Adwa woreda in Tigray region.
His Holiness Abune Yohannes II had been teaching at Kesate Berhan Selama Spiritual College and Debre Salam St. Michael Cathedral and serving as the administrator of Debre Salam St. Michael Cathedral for 22 years.
He had received various priesthood titles since 1948 and later he was elected by the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and appointed as bishop on July 29, 2005 by His Holiness Abune Paulos, the preceding patriarch of the EOTC.
Holiness Abune Yohannes II, who passed away yesterday at age 86 was the Supreme Patron of Abune Selama Kesate Berhan Theological College and Mekelle Debre Selam St. Michael Cathedral. His Holiness Abune Yohannes II final resting will take place tomorrow.
About a week ago, following their joint meeting held on 09 February, the Tigray Orthodox Church Council of Bishops had issued a rejection to an earlier call made by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) Holy Synod’s Secretariat requesting for talks of reconciliation and normalization of relations between the Synod in Addis Abeba and Tigray Orthodox Church. AS
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