The 35th Patriarchate General Parish Holy Council Begins
October 18, 2016
By Kassa Nigus
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church started this year’s annual patriarchate General Parish Holy Council in the hall of the Patriarchate on October 17, 2016, in accordance with the Church’s Regulation Act (Kale’awadi) to hold the council at the beginning of October annually.
More than 400 participants from the Holy Synod, departments of the patriarchate, as well as representatives from various organizations and officials from more than 50 domestic and foreign dioceses, parish councils, and the laity are in attendance at the session.
His Holiness Patriarch Abune Mathias, chairman of the council, in his benediction on the occasion said, “We, priests should never forget the crucial role of the parish council, the evangelist device that confirms our richness”. He stated that the Parish Council is the single most important key to ensure the sovereignty of the Church by strengthening and asserting the spiritual, social and economic status of the church.
He also noted that the parish council is the biggest source of wealth that guarantees the day to day functioning of the church; though the Church is exhibiting slow growth due to maladministration. However, priests should not think about their personal wealth. Rather, they should take great care, constantly day and night, about the protection of believers faithfully to serve as God’s Word commands.
During this general assembly, performance of the Church in the past fiscal year and future plans of every diocese as well as every issue that concerns the church, including the current burning issue, the issue of peace, are big agendas of the session. The Council will be closed on Thursday, October 20, 2016.