Abune Mathias

Abune Mathias
Habeni · CC0 · source
Name	Abune Mathias
Honorific-prefix	His Holiness
Birth name	Teklemariam Asrat
Birth date	1941
Birth place	Belela, Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Nationality	Ethiopian
Alma mater	Monastery of Debre Libanos, St. Yared School, Coptic Church studies
Occupation	Cleric, Patriarch
Title	Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Term start	27 February 2013
Predecessor	Abune Paulos

Abune Mathias is the 6th Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, elected in 2013 to lead one of the oldest Christian institutions in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. He has served during a period marked by domestic political reforms, international ecclesiastical relations, and regional conflicts involving Eritrea, Sudan, and South Sudan. His tenure intersects with interactions with global religious actors including the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion.

Early life and education

Born Teklemariam Asrat in 1941 in Belela, in the Tigray Region, he was raised amid rural Ethiopian Empire society and the liturgical traditions of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. His early formation included study at the St. Yared School and immersion in monastic life at institutions linked to Debre Libanos Monastery and regional centers such as Lalibela and Gondar. He undertook advanced theological and liturgical studies influenced by contacts with the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Monastery of Saint Anthony, and clergy educated in Addis Ababa and abroad, engaging with texts preserved in Ge'ez manuscripts and the patrimony of Abune Tekle Haymanot and Saint Yared.

Clerical career and rise in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church

Mathias advanced through ecclesiastical ranks serving in dioceses connected to Axum, Mekele, Adigrat, and Addis Ababa, holding positions that linked him to administration at the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and to monastic communities across Amhara Region and Tigray Region. He was involved with clergy who had ties to figures such as Abune Paulos, Abune Merkorewos, and other hierarchs engaged in pastoral work during eras defined by interactions with the Derg, the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front. His episcopal service included pastoral oversight, doctrinal instruction, and liaison with international patriarchates including the Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II and representatives of the Ethiopian diaspora in United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Israel, and South Africa.

Election as Patriarch

Following the death of Abune Paulos in 2012, the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church convened amid tensions involving the Ethiopian government and factions within the Church; the election process drew attention from regional actors including TPLF-aligned figures and national leaders in Addis Ababa. On 27 February 2013 the Synod elected Mathias as Patriarch; his election was reported to have support from bishops representing historic sees such as Axum and Lalibela and elicited responses from foreign churches including the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria and the Ethiopian Catholic Church. The selection occurred in the context of ongoing debates over canonical order, jurisdiction with Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and pastoral care for displaced faithful from Somalia and South Sudan.

Leadership and initiatives

As Patriarch, Mathias prioritized liturgical renewal, protection of Ge'ez patrimony, monastic revitalization at centers like Debre Damo and Narga Selassie, and pastoral outreach to congregations in the Diaspora across North America, Europe, Middle East, and Australia. He fostered ecumenical dialogue with the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria, and representatives of the Anglican Communion and Roman Catholic Church. His administrative measures addressed parish governance, clergy training in seminaries such as Holy Trinity Cathedral Seminary in Addis Ababa, and humanitarian cooperation with organizations including World Food Programme, UNHCR, and faith-based NGOs operating in Tigray Region and Amhara Region. He engaged with national leaders including presidents and prime ministers in Ethiopia, as well as international envoys from United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and United Nations missions concerning peacebuilding in Eritrea–Ethiopia relations and reconciliation efforts after the Ethiopian Civil War era.

Controversies and criticisms

Mathias's tenure has not been without dispute: his election and authority faced challenges from rival claimants and clergy aligned with the exiled faction of the Church, generating schisms involving bishops who had ties to Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church and groups within the Ethiopian diaspora. Critics cited tensions over property disputes in Addis Ababa, disciplinary actions against clergy, and the Church's stance on political developments involving the TPLF and federal reforms initiated by successive administrations. International observers, including scholars from Oxford University, Harvard University, and University of Addis Ababa, and journalists from outlets like BBC News, Reuters, and Al Jazeera documented debates about Church autonomy, allegations of state interference, and responses to humanitarian crises in Tigray and Amhara that implicated ecclesiastical leadership.

Personal life and legacy

Rooted in monastic discipline traceable to traditions of Saint Yared and Abune Tekle Haymanot, Mathias's personal practice emphasizes liturgy, fasting, and pastoral care, while his public legacy includes efforts to preserve Ge'ez manuscripts, protect monastic lands, and sustain the Church's role in social welfare across Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Historians and theologians from institutions like Addis Ababa University, University of Oxford, and Harvard Divinity School assess his patriarchate in light of ongoing ecclesial realignments, regional conflict, and evolving relations with patriarchates such as the Coptic Orthodox Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'. His influence persists among clergy, monastics, and laity in Axum, Lalibela, Gondar, and diaspora communities in Washington, D.C., London, and Rome.

Category:Patriarchs of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Category:Ethiopian Oriental Orthodox bishops