Greetings of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Jubilee Celebration of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Your Beatitude, Brother and Patriarch of Ethiopia Paul,

Your Excellencies,

Blessed and beloved children in the Lord,

Dear, dignified, brave and glorious people of Ethiopia,

It is with great joy that we encounter and greet you all today. We owe and express profound gratitude to our beloved Brother in Christ, Patriarch Paul of the ancient Christian Church of Ethiopia. His gracious invitation has permitted us once again to visit your historic country, to participate in this significant international symposium, as well as to celebrate with you the Ethiopian Jubilee.

In the Acts of the Apostles, we read the wonderful account describing the way in which the first Ethiopian received the Gospel. How glorious and spontaneous, how sincere and noble his confession was indeed: “Believing that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.” (Acts 8.37)

Numerous people have since that time imitated this man. Numerous generations of Ethiopians have confessed and continue even today to confess proudly their faith in their Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Numerous martyrs. Numerous saints. Numerous pious believers, both men and women, both educated and unlettered, all manner of Ethiopian people have preserved and still preserve alight the bright torch of faith!

We praise our Holy God for the dedication of the people of Ethiopia. We congratulate your tireless and zealous Patriarch. We congratulate your pious pastors, Hierarchs, priests, and all those who minister in every way in the vineyard of the Church. We congratulate your parents and teachers, who spiritually nurture and support your children and youth.

Moreover, we greet all of the citizens of Ethiopia, who may follow other religious traditions – indeed, we greet and bless everyone, without discretion, with all our love and sincerity. For, according to our faith, all people are children of God the Creator, members as brothers and sisters of the one family of the undivided human race according to God. We also believe in the inviolable sacredness of the human person, convinced that everyone without exception has a proper place in life for the enjoyment of fundamental human rights.

Every nation of the world is blessed. Yet, thrice-blessed are those nations whose identity and memory dates back many centuries and even millennia. One of these nations is the courageous, enduring, suffering, albeit proud country of Ethiopia, just as our own blessed nation of the Greeks. Indeed, relations between the two have always been and remain friendly and creative.

The same applies to relations between our two Churches. These relations are steadily being strengthened, aiming at the restoration of full communion. Such is the express desire of the Ethiopian and the entire Orthodox Church. To this purpose, our beloved brother and concelebrant, Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria and All Africa is working with the active support here of His Eminence Metropolitan Petros of Axum.

As for us, as Ecumenical Patriarch, we bear the historic privilege as well as the pastoral responsibility of serving as First Bishop of the Holy Orthodox Church throughout the world. And we unwaveringly believe in the need for swift restoration of full communion between our two Churches. This is the fervent desire of the entire Church. This is the obligation of its leaders. This is our goal. This is our hope and conviction.

We wholeheartedly greet the political and other authorities of Ethiopia: His Excellency President Girma Woldegiorgis and His Excellency Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. We congratulate them as well as their coworkers in the arduous, albeit beautiful struggle for the progress of your country, for the deepening of democracy, the broadening of social justice, the establishment of order and security, the eradication of poverty, disease and all other problems in Ethiopia, so that all its people may share in the fruits of the earth and of their work, in the development of the economy, in the elevation of education, science and technology, as well as in the protection of the natural environment which is so violently threatened all over the world today, and – finally – in the restoration of peace and the promotion of friendship and cooperation among neighboring nations, for the sake of the peaceful coexistence of the global community.

All nations of the earth are entitled to the vision of a better world, a world without violence, without fear or terror, without fratricidal wars; a world where mutual respect of all people and races will reign, where brotherhood and active solidarity prevail, and where women are respected, children are protected, young people have hope, while the elderly, the sick and the homeless are cared for.

This vision is not utopian. It is planted in the deepest recesses of everyone’s soul. It is possible and accessible, so long as the struggle to achieve and materialize it is common and universal. After all, this is the will of the God of love.

May His Grace and boundless Mercy protect all Ethiopia and all of you. Amen.

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