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The Abyssinian Church was created, as the chronicle of Axum relates, when Christianity was adopted in Abyssinia in the 4th century.
About A.D. 330 Frumentius was made first bishop of Ethiopia by
Athanasius, patriarch of Alexandria. Cedrenus and Nicephorus err in dating Abyssinian Christianity from Justinian, circa 542. From Frumentius to the present day, with one break, the
Metropolitan (Abuna) has always been appointed from Egypt,
and, oddly enough, he is always a foreigner. Little is
known of church history down to the period of Jesuit rule,
which broke the connexion with Egypt from about 1500 to
1633. But the Abyssinians rejected the council of Chalcedon,
and still remain monophysites. Union with the Coptic Church continued after the Arab conquest in Egypt.
Abu Sallh records in the 12th century that the patriarch used always to send letters twice a year to the kings of Abyssinia and Nubia,
till Al Hakim stopped the practice. Cyril, 67th patriarch,
sent Severus as bishop, with orders to put down polygamy
and to enforce observance of canonical consecration for all
churches. These examples show the close relations of the two
churches in the Middle Ages. But early in the 16th century
the church was brought under the influence of a Portuguese mission.
In 1439, in the reign of Zara Yakub, a religious
discussion between an Abyssinian, Abba Giorgis, and a Frank
had led to the despatch of an embassy from Abyssinia to the
Vatican; but the initiative in the Roman Catholic missions
to Abyssinia was taken, not by Rome, but by Portugal, as an
incident in the struggle with the Mussulmans for the command
of the trade route to India by the Red Sea.
In 1507 Matthew,
or Matheus, an Armenian, had been sent as Abyssinian envoy
to Portugal to ask aid against the Muslims, and in 1520
an embassy under Dom Rodrigo de Lima landed in Abyssinia.
An interesting account of this mission, which remained
for several years, was written by Francisco Alvarez, the
chaplain.
Later, Ignatius Loyola wished to essay the task
of conversion, but was forbidden. Instead, the pope sent
out Joao Nunez Barreto as patriarch of the East Indies,
with Andre de Oviedo as bishop; and from Goa envoys went to
Abyssinia, followed by Oviedo himself, to secure the king's
adherence to Rome. After repeated failures some measure of
success was achieved, but not till 1604 did the king make
formal submission to the pope. Then the people rebelled and
the king was slain. Fresh Jesuit victories were followed
sooner or later by fresh revolt, and Roman rule hardly
triumphed when once for all it was overthrown. In 1633 the
Jesuits were expelled and allegiance to Alexandria resumed.
There are many early rock-cut churches in Abyssinia, closely
resembling the Coptic. After these, two main types of
architecture are found -- one basilican, the other native. The
cathedral at Axum is basilican, though the early basilicas
are nearly all in ruin; e.g., that at Adulis and that of
Martula Mariam in Gojam, rebuilt in the 16th century on
the ancient foundations. These examples show the influence
of those architects who, in the 6th century, built the
splendid basilicas at Sanaa and elsewhere in Arabia. Of
native churches there are two forms -- one square or oblong,
found in Tigre; the other circular, found in Amhara and
Shoa. In both, the sanctuary is square and stands clear in the
centre. An outer court, circular or rectangular, surrounds the
body of the church. The square type may be due to basilican
influence, the circular is a mere adaptation of the native
hut: in both, the arrangements are obviously based on Jewish
tradition. Church and outer court are usually thatched,
with wattled or mud-built walls adorned with rude frescoes.
The altar is a board on four wooden pillars having upon
it a small slab (tabut) of alabaster, marble, or shittim
wood, which forms its essential part. At Martula Mariam,
the wooden altar overlaid with gold had two slabs of solid
gold, one 500, the other 800 ounces in weight. The ark kept
at Axum is described as two feet high, covered with gold and
gems. The liturgy was celebrated on it in the king's palace
at Christmas, Epiphany, Easter and Feast of the Cross.
Generally the Abyssinians agree with the Copts in ritual and
practice. The LXX version was translated into Geez, the
literary language, which is used for all services, though hardly
understood. Saints and angels are highly revered, if not adored,
but graven images are forbidden. Fasts are long and rigid.
Confession and absolution, strictly enforced, give great power
to the priesthood. The clergy must marry, but once only.
Pilgrimage to Jerusalem is a religious duty and covers many sins.
- (from an old encyclopedia)
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