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37-553: On 26 September 1976, on the eve of Meskel , the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) turned back an advance by an armed detachment of 250 Ethiopian Democratic Union fighters at Chiameskebet , a village near Shiraro, on 26 September 1976, forcing them to retreat across the Tekezé. Both sides suffered heavy casualties; amongst the TPLF wounded was their general, Mehari Tekle ("Mussie"), who

74-555: A church temple, in accordance with Exodus 3:5 (in which Moses , while viewing the burning bush , was commanded to remove his shoes while standing on holy ground). Furthermore, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church like its Ethiopian counterpart is known to observe the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday, or the lesser Sabbath), in addition to the Lord's Day (Sunday, or the greater Sabbath), although more emphasis, because of

111-546: Is Amharic for "cross". The feast is held in Meskel Square , named after the festival, in the capital city of Addis Ababa . Religious and civil leaders preside over the celebration, and public figures give speeches and reference biblical themes and stories. Many Ethiopians who live in cities return to their home villages to celebrate the national event. When darkness falls, the Demera is burned. UNESCO inscribed Meskel in 2013 on

148-756: Is an Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church holiday that commemorates the discovery of the True Cross by the Roman Empress Saint Helena of Constantinople in the fourth century. Meskel is celebrated by Oriental Orthodox members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church , the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church , and to a lesser extent Roman Catholic members of the Ethiopian Catholic Church ,

185-484: Is common to few other Christian traditions; it is also the rule in some non-Christian religions, Islam and Orthodox Judaism among them). Before praying, the Eritrean Orthodox wash their hands and face, in order to be clean before and present their best to God; shoes are removed in order to acknowledge that one is offering prayer before a holy God. Eritrean Orthodox worshippers remove their shoes when entering

222-414: Is distributed amongst 70.22% owning their land, 27.22% renting, and those holding their land under other forms of tenure 2.58%. In 2020 woreda Tahtay Adiyabo became inoperative and its territory belongs to the following new woredas: 14°20′N 37°50′E  /  14.333°N 37.833°E  / 14.333; 37.833 Meskel Meskel ( Ge'ez : መስቀል , romanized:  Mesk’el )

259-940: Is one of the Oriental Orthodox Churches with its headquarters in Asmara , Eritrea . It was given autocephaly by Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria , Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church , after Eritrea gained its independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Thus, the Eritrean Church accords a primacy of honor to the Coptic Church. Sources differ on the percentage of Christians in the Eritrean population, with most figures being close to one-half, although some sources report slightly more than 60%. Almost 90% of Eritrean Christians are followers of Oriental Orthodoxy . The rest of

296-569: Is traditionally believed to have been in March, but Meskel was moved to September to avoid holding a festival during Lent , and because the church commemorating the True Cross in Jerusalem was dedicated during September. Ullendorff speculates that Meskel replaced an older festival, with pagan and Hebraic associations, which he believes received its Christian sanction around the reign of Emperor Amda Seyon in

333-612: Is under house arrest. Abuna Antonios was replaced by Abune Dioskoros as the fourth Patriarch of the church. Patriarch Abuna Dioskoros died on 21 December 2015. Qerlos became the fifth patriarch of the church in June 2021. In common with all Eastern Orthodox , Oriental Orthodox , and Western Orthodox churches; the Catholic Church and the Old Catholic churches of the Union of Utrecht ,

370-713: The Eritrean Catholic Church , and among Protestant members of P'ent'ay - Ethiopian-Eritrean Evangelicalism (including Pentecostal , Lutheran , Baptist , Mennonite , and other Evangelical churches). It is a localized version of the Feast of the Cross and occurs on the 17 Meskerem in the Ethiopian calendar (27 September, Gregorian calendar , or on 28 September in leap years ). "Meskel" (or "Meskal" or "Mesqel", there are various ways to transliterate from Ge'ez to Latin script)

407-759: The Resurrection of Christ, is laid upon Sunday. While the Tewahedo Churches are known for this practice, it is neither an innovation nor unique to them, deriving from the Apostolic Constitutions and the Apostolic Canons and only became a theological dispute in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria in the centuries leading up to the issue being rectified by Ewostatewos. The emperor Gelawdewos in his Confession , an apologia of traditional beliefs and practices explicitly says "we do not honour it as

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444-531: The Tabernacle offered guidance to the children of Israel ( Exod. 40:34–38)." One explanation for the high rank this festival has in the church calendar is that it is believed that a part of the true Cross has been brought to Ethiopia from Egypt. It is said to be kept at Amba Geshen , which itself has a cross-shaped plan. According to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the discovery of the True Cross

481-516: The Tigrayan (71.36%), foreign residents from Eritrea (26.23%), and the Kunama (1.41%); all other ethnic groups made up 1% of the population. Tigrinya is spoken as a first language by 97.35%, and 1.39% speak Kunama ; the remaining 1.26% spoke all other primary languages reported. 96.33% of the population said they were Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity , and 3.49% were Muslim . Concerning education , 9.58% of

518-515: The sibket or sermons are normally in given in the local Tigrinya language . Geʽez is currently being replaced by Tigrinya, as the principal language for church services. The Tewahedo Church Biblical Canon contains 81 books, including almost all of those which are accepted by other Orthodox and Oriental Christians; the exception is the Books of the Maccabees , at least some of which are accepted in

555-773: The 13 January 2006 letter, including Yoftahe Dimetros, whom the Patriarch identified as being responsible for the church's recent upheavals. Patriarch Antonios also appealed his case to the Council of the Monasteries of the Eritrean Orthodox Church and to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria . Abune Antonios was deposed by the Eritrean Holy Synod supposedly under pressure from the Eritrean government; as of 2006 he

592-466: The 1994 census, of whom 45,834 are men and 44,310 women; 6,377 or 7.07% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 3,841.51 square kilometers, Tahtay Adiyabo has a population density of 23.47 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 40.21. A total of 20,553 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.39 persons to a household, and 19,141 housing units. The majority of

629-746: The Eastern Orthodox and other Oriental Orthodox churches, but not in the Tewahedo churches (the books of Meqabyan, which are accepted instead, have an etymologically connected name, but rather different content). The Eritrean Orthodox canon and the Ethiopian Orthodox canon are identical. Like the Ethiopian Church , the Eritrean Church places a heavier emphasis on Old Testament teachings than one might find in many Eastern Orthodox , Roman Catholic or Protestant churches. Women are prohibited from entering

666-535: The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church professes belief in the seven sacraments of baptism , confirmation / chrismation , eucharist , confession , the anointing of the sick , matrimony , and holy orders . It regards the first four as being "necessary for every believer". The church holds the ancient Christian belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist stating that "The consecrated bread and wine are

703-404: The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church was recognized by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria in 1994, the newly established patriarchal seat of Eritrea remained vacant until 1999 when Philipos was elected Abune Phillipos and the first patriarch of Eritrea (1999–2001). He was succeeded by Abune Yacob in 2002 and Abune Antonios in 2004. Abune Antonios's objections to government policy toward

740-606: The Jews do... but we so honour it that we celebrate thereon the Eucharist and have love-feasts, even as our Fathers the Apostles have taught us in the Didascalia". The Eritrean Church does not call for circumcision, yet it is a cultural practice, as is abstention from pork and other meats deemed unclean. It is not regarded as being necessary to salvation. After declaration of autocephaly of

777-462: The Orthodox communion. Church members who undergo a purely civil ceremony are not regarded as sacramentally married. The traditional liturgical language of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church is Geʽez . This was the language of the early Aksumite Christians of the region. Though Geʽez has no more native speakers, the language is still used for church liturgical functions and festivities. But

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814-442: The Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, was confined to a strictly ceremonial role. In a letter dated 13 January 2006, Patriarch Abune Antonios was informed that following several sessions of the church's Holy Synod, he had been formally deposed. In a written response that was widely published, the Patriarch rejected the grounds of his dismissal, questioned the legitimacy of the synod, and excommunicated two signatories to

851-570: The Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity . The Meskel celebration includes the burning of a large bonfire, or Demera, based on the belief that Queen Eleni had a revelation in a dream. She was told that she should make a bonfire and that the smoke would show her where the True Cross was buried. So she ordered the people of Jerusalem to bring wood and make a huge pile. After adding frankincense ,

888-464: The body and blood of Christ. Jesus Christ is truly, really and substantially present in the consecrated elements. In the Eucharist, we eat the blessed flesh of our Lord and drink His precious blood under the form of bread and wine." As in other Eastern Christian traditions, the bond of marriage is able to be dissolved, but only on the grounds of adultery. To safeguard the practice of the faith, church members are discouraged from marrying people outside of

925-414: The bonfire was lit and the smoke rose high up to the sky and returned to the ground, exactly to the spot where the Cross had been buried. According to local traditions, this Demera-procession takes place in the early evening the day before Meskel or on the day itself. The firewood is decorated with daisies prior to the celebration. Charcoal from the remains of the fire is afterwards collected and used by

962-463: The church temple during menses ; they are also expected to cover their hair with a large scarf (or shash ) while in church, as described in 1 Corinthians, chapter 11. As with Orthodox synagogues , men and women sit separately in the Ethiopian church, with men on the left and women on the right (when facing the altar). (Women covering their heads and separation of the sexes in churches officially

999-463: The faithful to mark their foreheads with the shape of a cross (compare Ash Wednesday ). Edward Ullendorff records a number of beliefs of the meaning of Demera, with some believing that it "marks the ultimate act in the cancellation of sins, while others hold that the direction of the smoke and the final collapse of the heap indicate the course of future events – just as the cloud of smoke the Lord raised over

1036-461: The fourteenth century. "The most ancient meaning of these feasts – as was also the case in Israel – was no doubt seasonal: the month of Maskaram marked the end of the rains, the resumption of work, and the reopening of communications." Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( Tigrinya : ቤተ ክርስትያን ተዋህዶ ኤርትራ , romanized:  beta krstyan tawahdo ertra )

1073-466: The inhabitants said they practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity , with 95.59% reporting that as their religion, while 3.15% of the population were Muslim . The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 80,934 of whom 41,136 were men and 39,798 were women; 12,761 or 15.77% of its population were urban dwellers. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Tahtay Adiyabo were

1110-679: The population is almost entirely Muslim. Tewahedo ( Ge'ez : ተዋሕዶ täwaḥədo ) is a Ge'ez word meaning "being made one", cognate to Arabic tawhid . According to the Catholic Encyclopedia (1917 edition) article on the Henoticon : around 500 AD bishops within the Patriarchates of Alexandria , Antioch and Jerusalem refused to accept the "two natures" doctrine decreed by the Council of Chalcedon in 451, thus separating themselves from

1147-416: The population were considered literate, which is greater than the Zone average of 9.01%; 11.09% of children aged 7–12 were in primary school, which is less than the Zone average of 11.34%; 0.21% of the children aged 13–14 were in junior secondary school, which is less than the Zone average of 0.65%; none of the inhabitants aged 15–18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions , about 90% of

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1184-836: The rest of Christianity since that time. This separate Christian communion came to be known as Oriental Orthodoxy . The Oriental Orthodox Churches, which today include the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria , the Armenian Apostolic Church , the Syriac Orthodox Church , the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church of India, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church , and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, are referred to as " Non-Chalcedonian ". These churches themselves describe their Christology as miaphysite , but outsiders often describe them as monophysite . Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) wished to attempt

1221-480: The task of conversion, but this did not happen. Instead, Pope Paul III sent out João Nunes Barreto  [ pt ] as Patriarch of the East Indies, with Andrés de Oviedo as bishop; and from Goa envoys (followed by Oviedo) went to Ethiopia. The first independent Patriarch of Eritrea was Abune Phillipos , who died in 2002 and was succeeded by Abune Yacob . The reign of Abune Yacob as Patriarch of Eritrea

1258-489: The urban houses and 34% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; about 12% of the urban and 6% of the total had toilet facilities. A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 17,471 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 1.23 hectares of land. Of the 21,514 hectares of private land surveyed in Tahtay Adiyabo, 85.25% was under cultivation, 1.66% pasture, 11.53% fallow, and 1.56%

1295-400: Was devoted to other uses; the amount in woodland is missing. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 76.82% is planted in cereals, 2.42% in pulses, 5.57% in oilseeds, and 0.4% in vegetables. The number of hectares planted in fruit trees is missing. 80.88% of the farmers both raise crops and livestock, while 16.72% only grow crops and 2.39% only raise livestock. Land tenure in this woreda

1332-563: Was fatally wounded in the battle and died a few days later. Flooding by the Tekezé in August 2006 damaged 68.5 hectares planted in fruits and vegetables and buried 21 water pumps. A violent storm in the second week of the same month also damaged 48.5 hectares of crops. Based on the 2007 national census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 90,144, an increase of 80,934 over

1369-516: Was very brief, as he died not long after his enthronement, and he was succeeded by Abune Antonios as 3rd Patriarch of Eritrea. Abune Antonios was elected on 5 March 2004, and enthroned as the third Patriarch of Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Eritrea on 24 April 2004. Pope Shenouda III presided at the ceremony in Asmara , together with the Holy Synod of the Eritrean Orthodox Church and a Coptic Orthodox Church delegation. In August 2005, Abune Antonios,

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