04/06/2026
Message of His Holiness Abune Mathias I, Patriarch of Ethiopia, Archbishop of Axum, and Echege of the See of Tekle Haymanot, Regarding the Attack on Orthodox Christians in the Arsi Diocese
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, One God. Amen.
“They have given the dead bodies of Your servants as food to the birds of the heavens, and the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth.”
(Psalm 79:2)
It is with a broken heart that we have received the news of the horrific attacks carried out against our spiritual children and the Holy Church in the Arsi Diocese, particularly in the districts of Asko, Shirka, Honqolo, Wabe, and Munessa.
On this tragic day, when freedom of faith has been violated, the century-old St. Gabriel Church of T’alata was burned down, and the churches of Kara Kufte and Medhane Alem were looted. Furthermore, many faithful believers were unjustly killed, and hundreds of our people were displaced from their homes. This is a deeply sorrowful event that has caused immense grief to our Church.
At a time when the Church, a repository of peace, love, and history, seeks to comfort believers who are enduring earthly suffering, it now finds itself facing severe trials. Moreover, the recurring injustices and acts of violence taking place in the land of Arsi have caused all of us to ask, with anguish and sorrow, the question: “How long will this continue?”
Therefore, as this suffering is not diminishing but rather expanding, we strongly urge the security forces and government officials at every level—who have been entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding citizens and maintaining peace—to recognize that history will judge you above all by the value you place on the safety and security of the people during your time in office. We earnestly call upon you, in the name of our Church, to put an end to this chain of violence and bring the perpetrators to justice so that you may not remain indebted before history.
We also c
