Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Addis Ababa (Agenzia Fides) - On Sunday, May 4, the National Congress of the Church in Ethiopia will come to a close. The event is situated within the celebrations being held for the Great Jubilee and the new Christian Millenium of Ethiopia, begun in September 2007 (see Fides 13/9/2007).
The close of the Eucharistic Congress in Ethiopia will be celebrated with a Mass in the Salesian Parish of Mary, Help of Christians, in a part of the capital city named Mecaniza. The liturgy, which will be held in the Eastern Rite and in the Amharic language, will be presided by Archbishop Berhaneyesus D. Souraphiel of Addis Ababa, President of the Ethiopian Bishops’ Conference. The Holy Father’s Special Envoy, Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, will give the homily in English, accompanied by an Amharic translation.
The Great Jubilee and the new Christian Millenium of Ethiopia is being celebrated from September 2007 to September 2008, following the Ethiopian calendar that is based on calculations gathered from ancient Coptic, Hebrew, Julian, and Egyptian astronomical calendars. Among the activities being organized by the Catholic Church for this event, is the National Symposium, the publication of the Bible in Amharic, and the planning of pilgrimages. In the National Symposium, the entire Ethiopian Church will discuss the difficulties and perspectives for the local Catholic community, the developmental activities, and the contribution of Catholics to the life of the nation. Thus, it is a forum intended to confirm the progress being made by the Church in the area of evangelization and in favor of the human person.
In honor of this Jubilee celebration, the Bishops have promoted the distribution of a series of publications for the local community and the universal Church. Among them, is a magazine entitled “The Living Hope,” that will be published in 4 issues during the Jubilee Year. Another important initiative is the printing and distribution of the Bible in Amharic, with the 1954 translation. There have also been several pilgrimages organized on a national and diocesan level, to sites in Ethiopia and other countries, including a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 2/5/2008; righe 28, parole 353)
