This is a list of the abunas of Ethiopia, the spiritual heads of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The Abuna of Ethiopia is known officially as His Holiness Patriarch and Catholicos of Ethiopia, Archbishop of Axum and Ichege of the See of St. Tekle Haymanot. The current Abuna, Mathias, acceded to this position on 28 February 2013.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is part of the Oriental Orthodox communion, and it was granted autocephaly by Cyril VI, Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church, in 1959.
Bishops of Axum Portrait Abuna Reign Notes Abune Selama I Kesatay Birhan (St. Frumentius) 350–383 Brought Christianity to the Kingdom of Aksum. Minas or ElyasMinas according to the Gadla Afse, while Elyas according to the source of Carlo Conti Rossini in Acta Yared et Pantalewon. Sergew Hable Selassie, Ancient and Medieval Ethiopian History to 1270. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: United Printers, p. 116 Abreham Late 4th century – early 5th century Petros Abba Aftse Late 5th century – early 6th century Qozmos early 6th century Euprepius early 6th century Seat vacant 537–562Due to the exiling of Patriarch Theodosius I and his replacement with the Chalcedonian Patriarch Paul, according to an Arabic source. Sergew, Ancient and Medieval Ethiopian History, p. 142.
Metropolitan archbishops of Axum and of All Ethiopia Portrait Abuna Reign Notes Qerellos 620s – mid 7th century unknown Yohannes 820–840 Yaqob I mid 9th century Salama Za-'Azeb 9th century Bartalomewos 10th century Peter 920s Opposed by Minas and Fiqtor. Seat vacant 940–970s Daniel late 10th century Fiqtor 11th century 'Abdun Claimant. Sawiros 1077–1092 Giyorgis I 1090s Mikael I early–mid 12th century Yaqob II Gabra Krestos Atnatewos late 12th century Mikael II 1206–1209 Opposed by Hirun. Yeshaq 1209–1225 An inference from the Kebra Nagast colophon. Giyorgis II 1225 St. Tekle Haymanot 13th century According to tradition. Yohannes (XIII?) 14th century Yaqob (III?) 1337–1344 Seat vacant 1344–1348 Salama II 1348–1388 Seat vacant 1388–1398/9 Bartalomewos 1398/9–1436 Mikael and Gabriel 1438–1458 Seat vacant 1458–1481 Yeshaq 1481– 1520 Marqos (VI?) 1481– 1530 1536– 1545 Self-proclaimed Ethiopian Orthodox Abuna, and Catholic Patriarch of Ethiopia and Alexandria. Endyras 1545–? Andrés de Oviedo 1557–1577 Catholic bishop. Marqos (VII?) 1565 Krestodolos I 1590 Petros (VI?) 1599?–1607 Killed in battle. Simon 1608–1617 Afonso Mendes 1622–1632 Catholic Patriarch, supported by Susenyos I and deposed by Fasilides. Seat vacant 1632–1633 Rezek 1634 Marqos (VIII?) 1635–1672 Deposed with Krestodolos. Krestodolos II 1640–1672 Deposed with Marqos. Sinoda 1672–1687 Seat vacant 1687–1689 Marqos (IX ?) 1689–late 17th century Abba Mikael 1640–1699 Marqos X 1694–1716 Seat vacant 1716–1718 Krestodolos III 1718–1745 Seat vacant 1745– 1747 Yohannes XIV 1747–1770 Yosab III 1770–1803 Seat vacant 1803– 1808 Makarios 1808 Seat vacant 1808–1816 Qerellos III 1816–1829 Seat vacant 1829–1841 Salama III 1841–1867 Seat vacant 1867–1868 Atnatewos II 1868–1876 Died of wounds received at the Battle of Gura in the Egyptian–Ethiopian War. Seat vacant 1876–1881 Petros VII 1881–1889 Mattheos X 1889–1926 Qerellos IV 1926–1936 First tenure; deposed following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. Seat vacant 1936–1937 Abraham 1937–1939Installed during the Italian occupation. Yohannes XV 1939–1945 Qerellos IV 1945–1950 Second tenure; restored. Seat vacant 1950–1951 Basilios 1951–1959 Elevated to Patriarch and Catholicos of All Ethiopia.
On 13 July 1948, the Coptic Orthodox and Ethiopian churches reached an agreement that led to the elevation of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church to the rank of an Autonomous Church; allowing the Archbishop of All Ethiopia to consecrate on his own bishops and metropolitans for the Ethiopian Church and to form a local Holy Synod. The Archbishop, however, is consecrated by the Pope of Alexandria along with the members of the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Patriarchs and catholicoi of All Ethiopia No. Portrait Abuna Reign Notes 1 Basilios 1959–1970 Reigned during the 1960 Ethiopian coup attempt and the1965 Conference of Addis Ababa. 2 Theophilos 1971–1976 Confirmed by the Emperor after his election.Deposed and arrested by the Derg; executed by strangling in 1979. 3 Takla Haymanot 1976–1988 Met Pope John Paul II in 1981, in the first such meeting in modern times. 4 Merkorios 1988–2022 Deposed by the EPRDF, which claimed that he willingly abdicated.Headed the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Exile from 1991 to 2018.Entered into dual patriarch arrangement alongside Abune Mathias from 2018 to 2022. 5 Paulos 1992–2012 Reign disputed by followers of Abune Merkorios. 6 Mathias 2013–present Reign disputed by followers of Abune Merkorios until 2018.Entered into dual patriarch arrangement alongside Abune Merkorios from 2018 to 2022.
In 1959, the Coptic Orthodox Church granted autocephaly to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and elevated the Archbishop to the Patriarchal dignity and was enthroned with the title of: Patriarch and Re'ese Liqane Papasat Echege (Catholicos) of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The title of Ichege (Supreme Abbot) of the See of St. Tekle Haymanot of Debre Libanos was subsumed into the Patriarchate. The title of Ichege was revived and the title of Archbishop of Axum was added to the Patriarchal titles in 2005, as Axum was the seat of Ethiopia's first Bishop, St. Frumentius, and thus the oldest see in the church.
Timeline This is a graphical timeline of the patriarchs and catholicoi of All Ethiopia. They are listed in order of first assuming office.
The following chart lists the patriarchs and catholicoi by lifespan, with the years outside of their tenure in blue.
See also Coptic Christianity Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church List of abunas of Eritrea Ethiopian ecclesiastical titles Tigrayan Orthodox Tewahedo Church Latin Patriarchate of Ethiopia
References
Sources Modern Primates of Ethiopia (1694–present)